A Party

For these four days, I traveled with a man who I met at Warszawa by bicycle. I have just arrived at Gdansk, one of a beatiful city in Poland near Baltic sea. The man, Refel is a Polish. When I arrived at the station of Warszawa, he talked to me. The first impression of him was positive guy with smiling, even if we were not a good English speaker. He uses bicycle for his job, so he was very interested of my journey and what I did. We talked at station about 10-20 minutes, after that he said "come to sleep my house!". I answered"No, I have decided a place to sleep". Actually, I have decided the place to sleep for free through the internet. But at the same time, I was afraid to sleep in his house because I hadn't know much about him. What I know everything of him is that he has a good smile and positive thinkng. Lastly, he gave me a phone number and said"If you need some help at Warszawa, please call me!". The day was before holiday and he had no plan for his weekend I felt.

The next day, at Warszawa I send him a message for his phone to meet him. Because, I did't like to go into the city for sightseeing by alone. Fortunately,he was gald to meet me and he guided me some about Warszawa. I spent the whole afternoon with him and went to his house. We talked about his bicycle trip and what I had experienced through this trip. The end of the day, he asked me"I have a time go with you to Gdansk, will we go there?" Actually, I wanted to go alone because I normally don't use hotel and restaulant, that is, he couldn't keep up with my living standard. And also, I couldn't trust him all even if he guided me his city and gave some food for me. I was very careful. Before I answered I asked him"Where will you sleep if you go with me?", he answered "In a tent". Sill I was wondering weather I was going to accept his offer or not. But, finally I answered "yes" and shake hands. I felt like some Japanese identity worked and also it might be nice of me if I accept it to make something new.

Two persons are enough to make a small but society. The next day we started the travel to Gdansk. We met at 8:00 in front of my sleeping place, that was student house at University of Warszawa. That was the starting point of our journey. As a result, our travel was nice even if the weather was not so good. We could get to Gdansk on time when we planed before!

What I felt of this travel was that, firstly, going with someone by bike was nice because we can share something happens through that trip, we laugh, we think, we talk, eat and sleep together! Making a party was my first time of this trip. When I belonged a mountain club at Hosei I did the almost same things. But at that time, if I try to someting like eat or sleep, the time decided. Actually, our party leader on the club decided the time to something to do. But here, even if I am not alone, who decide what I will do except for me? I decide everything what I do. To decide something by myself with someone was a strange for me, but I felt that might be natural for humankind. Nobody decide what I do in the group except for me.

And, I thought about the meaning why I traevel by alone. Sometimes, I asked,"why are you traveling by alone?" Then, I answered"I like traveling by alone and learn a lot if I am alone". Of course, I sometimes miss my friend, parents, teacher and even in a meal and city while I am traveling. But when I miss someone in here, I try to talk someone whoever can speak English, that is the only word which can use in this country but it is enough, and that is the best solution to slove this missing. Still, I believe that the decision traveling by alone was right and I won't be changed. Sometimes, I need a person who can understand what I said. I , we never live alone.

In conclusion, I am happy traveling with him. I had no idea whether he was nice person or not but it is hard to describe a human relationship in a ward and make few minute. Through those experiences we can make trust with each other.

trust a person and open-minded more and more.....

Yuji @ Gdansk, PL

PS. I came a crossroad wheather I will go to Helsinki or Berlin directly... I feel like that the wind of Nordic counry is waiting for me.