1. Yes lady, I'm giving you 100zł for a 12.55 total. I need to beef up my coin collection. I apologized profusely, and I know you just hate the need to count.

1.a. Keep lots of coins/change on your person.

1.b. Coins are a must.

1.c. Don't be afraid to anger the cashiers once in a while. You need the change.


2. Sure, why not bring your tiny dog onto a bus and let it roam around scared out of its mind.

3. If you don't respond to your lamenting kids (fake crying, of course) they will end up being adorable, well behaved kids that are like tiny adults but dress cute.

4. It's hard to make friends when no one is forcing you to participate in group activities... such as classes.

5. The way to stick out is not dress really nicely, and not dye your hair. At least I know the vocabulary for dying your hair, now.

6. Bring a shopping bag with you. Everywhere. Always. Don't forget. Because food doesn't last long (i.e. rots quickly, or I eat it all)


7. Sometimes I speak Polish really well, sometimes I speak it worse than a 2 year old.

8. Do not assume people know you are from America. They might think you are from somewhere else if you don't speak with a strong American accent. However, store people will revert to English immediately if you stumble just once.

9. When in doubt, just double check that the door says "Pull" and not "Push"

10. Lidl is a German discount grocery store that is a mess with everything in mass in cardboard boxes, with the running shoes next to the grapes, and mints next to the generic condoms. Logical? Not sure.

11. When doing wash by hand, let things soak longer than you think. Like all day. (Don't get upset at me for that, people who know how to do the wash properly)


12. Make sure you have powerful face wash, with a hefty amount of Salicylic acid in it.

13. No matter how well you pack, you will buy a sweater or sweatshirt during your stay in Poland. During the summer.

14. No matter how well you pack, remember you will be bringing back books. When I say "you," I mean the idiot writing this.


15. Always have coins.