A little whining never hurt anyone...

So I realized not too long ago that we're past the halfway mark of our stay in Poland. Our grant officially ends at the end of August, but, depending on our plans come September, who knows when/if we'll come home. That's kind of a crazy thought. But anyway, on to my point. I somehow figured that since I've had a good six months to contemplate and acclimate to life in Poland, it would be okay to complain (just a little) and share with you a list of things I miss. I also do this in part to give you a little taste as to what everyday life is like here, so this is really more of a philanthropic effort than a bellyache, don't you think? Yes, that's it. I'll follow up with some Polish things that I love so that you don't think Poland is a terrible place and so I don't come off sounding like a complete curmudgeon. (I think that may be the very first time I've ever used that word, and I think I really like it...)

Things I Miss

• Right now, the #1 thing I miss — far and away — is a microwave. Who likes to warm up food on the stove or in the oven? We do have an electric kettle (for all the tea we're supposed to drink), and I will say that I've come up with some pretty creative ways to use boiling water to warm stuff up. But I really miss a microwave like you wouldn't believe. Spoiled, I know.
• Drinking water from the tap. It seems like our main task here is just keeping ourselves stocked with water. I always seem to be hauling two five-liter jugs home from the store or sending Trevor out to get some. We have ended up with quite a few empty water bottles, and I think our apartment could become the neighborhood recycling bin. Trevor wants to keep all of the empty bottles until we do something cool with them, so if anyone has any ideas...send them our way.
  
• Grandma Sycamore's 100% whole wheat bread. This is just a personal favorite and there's really nothing like it here. Basically no Polish food has preservatives in it, which I guess is a good thing, but that means we have to eat everything super fast and buy bread several times a week. With that said, Polish bread is delicious and I'll go into more detail in a minute. But I do miss soft wheat bread.
• Seedless grapes. I've already complained enough about this one.
• A big fridge. We have a mini fridge and a freezer that's about eight inches high and a foot-and-a-half deep. I guess it's a good thing, in a way, since we can't carry home that many groceries anyway, but I still miss a normal-sized fridge. Again, spoiled.
• Ziploc bags.
• Brown sugar. I have learned how to make my own from white sugar and molasses, but it still adds another step to the baking process and it's one more hurdle I have to jump over before I get to my chocolate chip cookies. :D
• Cooking spray. I feel like I cook with so much oil here and it's starting to gross me out.
• A toaster. We've tried making toast in a skillet and in the oven, and sometimes I feel like it's just more work than its worth. (Note: They do have toasters here, but we're just too cheap to buy one.)
• Our families and friends. Awwww...
  
• My bed. This one is huge. Trevor and I sleep on a couch that lays down into a bed and it's stiff and somewhat of a tight fit. We're finally getting used to each other's knees and elbows, after six months of this, but I miss my soft big bed.

Polish Things That I Love

• Spreadable cheese. It's so delicious. There are some kinds with herbs, but I love the plain kind smothered on some good Polish bread.
• Polish bread. Trevor often says that Marjorie Hinckley was quoted as saying that Poland has the best bread she has ever tasted. I believe it. France has some good stuff too, so they may nearly be tied, but I'm currently loving Poland's. There's this kind of braided bread that's a tiny bit sweet that I absolutely love. I could eat a whole loaf in one sitting.
• Public transportation. While I sometimes miss not having a car, the buses, trams, and trains here are amazing. I realize a lot of it is due to population size and cultural difference, but I'm a little embarrassed for home when I compare them to the UTA and the carpool lane.
  
• The bakery across the street. The bread there is especially delicious and I love being able to buy a pastry or two whenever I feel the need for a more enriching Polish experience.
  
• I also love that the desserts here aren't overly sweet.
• Milk on the shelf. This one is also two-sided, because I miss milk that lasts a long time, but I like that I can store milk on the shelf and not crowd my shoebox-sized fridge with a big gallon of it.
• Fruits stands everywhere the eye can see. Love it. The strawberries are coming and my mouth is already watering.
• Polish juices. Many are carrot based, which make me feel extra healthy, but some favorites are apple mint, black and red currant, and apple raspberry.
  
• A chocolate banana pudding cake (which we found out is actually German) and this Polish apple cake/tart that is to die for. (Do you like how most of these are just good foods that I've tried? I guess I need to branch out a little.)
• Cheap movies. I think this may be Trevor's favorite part about Poland, but I also love that you can buy them here for like $2 and sometimes cheaper.

So there you go. Was I a complete curmudgeon? I hope not. I will say that while I miss those things and think of them often, it's also refreshing to make do with what we have and we're completely satisfied. It's been nice to live a simpler life.