Happiness - what does it actually mean?

What is happiness? I used to think that it depends on other people, that they are responsible for that how I feel. Today I know that happiness is a state of mind and I am the master of my happiness, because happiness is a resolution that:

from now I'm happy. I will not be sad any more, I will not let myself feel any more apathy and I will throw the word stress out of the dictionary. Then it will not exist, and what does not exist is not possible to feel. Anyway, can't you see that you have everything?

We live, breathe, experience. Look at your life. Do you see how rich you are? You are healthy, you can go where you want and do exactly what you want. You have a wonderful family, a dog, friends. You can feel happy because you have a roof over your head and shoes on your feet.

I understood that happiness is an experience, but it is not material goods that are the greatest happiness in life. Being rich means not having more things, but it means accumulating more experience and memories. They are our wealth. These memories will accompany you on your deathbed and you will tell them to your loved ones because your shoes by that time will fall apart and the car will be worth nothing. And what are memories? Good and evil, joy and sadness. Yes, evil and sadness are happiness too because if they were not there would be no reference points. There would be no change, no growth or maturation.

They say that happiness happens in misfortune, and I think it is born of it. Happiness does not exist without suffering, just as a solution does not exist without a problem. The problem here is not suffering, but the fact that you ask yourself the wrong questions. You provoke the emotions you need. That's why you don't have a happy solution, so just stop asking wrong questions and don’t worry, be happy!

Be a good person

Did you know that good comes back? Although many people do not believe it and consider it exaggerated, I personally think that what you give the world always gives back to you. In one form or another, the good you share will come back to you, sometimes in a completely different way than you expect.

I have been thinking a lot about the selflessness of people lately. Why there is so little good people in our modern world? Today, hardly anyone wants to give something and become anonymous ... Because for nothing? Without any business? Today someone needs help, tomorrow you may need it ... It's a pity that so few people think about it.

Fortunately, there are good people who are selfless! And you should focus on them in your life, believe in them, look for such people and surround them because if you have such a person in your life it's very likely that you have everything  what you need ;)

So if you don't know what to do, do good things and I guarantee you that it will reap its fruit !

My love...

For as long as I can remember I have always loved nature, especially one in which no human intervention can be seen. I like meadows, forests, lowlands, highlands, fields or lakes. I love flowers, especially field flowers, but also those growing in gardens. However, my love has always been mountains and all that lies in them. They stole my heart. I saw them for the first time when I was a little girl. Since then, they have been special for me, magical and beautiful, full of mystery but also teaching humility.

The Giant Mountains are beautiful, though not so high. It is from them that my love for the mountains began and a huge internal need to wander among them from time to time, walk the trails, and enjoy the peaks and valleys. And for me the time of year is not important. They are unusual for me in summer, winter, autumn and spring. I treat mountains as a kind of asylum. I associate it with silence, peace, freedom and unimaginable beauty.

Mountains are my love, but I approach with enormous respect because just as they are beautiful, magical, they delight the heart, they can be dangerous, although often humans makes them so, because it seems to them something that unfortunately does not reflect reality or does not comply with the laws of nature, or does not take into account attention to human restrictions. However, all you need is awareness, proper preparation to enjoy them, the opportunity to be among them and and the possibility to look at life from their level.

And what about you, what do you prefer, mountains or sea?

Italy - country of pizza !

 I spent New Year's Eve in Italy. I have to admit that I spent great time there. I was on the north of Italy, so I decided to visit Werona, Shakespeare city. Although he has never been here before, he has provided the city with fame and tourist business for many centuries. Today, Verona is the fifth most visited city in Italy, and more popular are only Venice, Rome, Florence and Rimini. This results in the presence of exclusive boutiques, expensive hotels and delicious restaurants.

Tourists who come to Verona mostly want to see the famous house of Julia, in which, of course, Julia never lived. But that's not important. It's about the myth, taking a picture under the famous balcony (or on it) and scraping a love confession on the wall.

Is Verona a city for two hours? Do you come here only for a moment on your way to Tuscany? Or maybe it's worth staying here for a long time? For me of course it's the second!

The first must-see point is, of course, Juliet's House, this is where Julia Capuleti, the heroin of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet drama, supposedly lived. Where did the idea come from to place the fictional Julia here? This Gothic house from the fourteenth century formerly belonged to the Cappello family. Someone thought that the name is similar to Capuleti that it can be combined into one. The house can be visited from the inside. Most, however, limit themselves to seeing the yard and doing one of two rituals. If you're in a relationship, write a note to your love and slide it into the courtyard entrance gate. If, in turn, you are single, then stroke Julia's right breast - it is to bring happiness in love. The second place worth seeing in Verona is the Roman amphitheater in Verona which is the third largest amphitheater that has survived in Italy (after the Roman Colloseum and amphitheater in Kapui in Campania) and could previously accommodate 30,000 people. Today it is still used for cultural purposes - operas, musicals and concerts are staged here. It is 2000 years old.

Then we head for Piazza Erbe, which is a picturesque square, located just a few steps from Julia's house. It is lost among the narrow streets of the old city. Car traffic bypasses it, leaving room for daily markets, cafes and tourists. There are numerous beautiful palaces here, especially the beautiful Mazzanti houses decorated with frescoes. Julia Club is located near Piazza Erbe. Perhaps you have once heard that you can write a letter to Julia Capuletti about your heart problems. We send it to Julia and wait for a response. And the best part is we'll probably get it because in Julia's Club, volunteers from all countries of the world sit and write to letters of lovers, and then send a letter to the recipient. It doesn't matter if you wrote your letter in English, Polish or Japanese - as long as there is a person who speaks a given language, you will get an answer.

For me, however, the most interesting thing that happens to me in Italy every time I am there is allowing myself to get lost in the streets of the old city, paying attention to the beautiful gates that remember the times of ancient times and beautiful architecture - Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance ... this city has a lot to offer.

How to survive in today's world ?

Today's world of consumption, how to live in it ?

My advice is to accept others choices and live your own life, do what we like and what makes us happy because otherwise we will all go crazy.

What does it actually mean to live your own life?

In my opinion, it is life according to my feelings, not according to specific standards that are in force in today's society. I know a lot of people who have everything (although it is a very relative term) but they lack something in life. They lack the freedom that every human being aspires to. This is absolutely not about work or finance, but about such simple things as making decisions and living according to your own rules. They care about what others say, do different things because it falls out like that, they live according to standards they are not completely satisfied with.

Today, from every side we hear what we should do and how, and every deviation from these standards is bad. We just have to learn not to care about people's opinions. We still hear: "Do you already have someone?", "When is the wedding?", "Still traveling, you don't get bored?" "I wonder where they got the money from," "How much do you earn?", "Why don't you go on vacation?", "Why do you go on vacation?" And many more.. But do you know what? What is beautiful in life is that everyone has a choice and everyone can decide what is best for him.

So, don’t worry, do what makes you happy and explore the world  J

Happy New Year !

New Year’s Eve resolutions.. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of it. I try to make small resolutions throughout the year, once in a while, because I think it is more effective than writing 40 things in the New Year, because half or even more of them we will not fulfill.

 It seems to me that it's such a human nature, that with New Year goes new life, new resolutions, we like to be aware that we want to change something, we like to feel that we are not standing in one place. We decide to take care of ourselves, sign up for the gym, but we endure the first two or three months and then forget about our decision and give up. In fact, nothing really changes after the New Year. That's why I believe that smaller resolutnios which we really want to achieve are better. However, it's great when we enter the New Year with a positive attitude, so it's worth setting goals such as:

-          Bring more fun to life

-           Find time for family / friends

-          Taking care of yourself

-          Smile more

-          Develop your passion

And just live here and now without worrying about the future and without thinking about the past, what I wish all of you J Happy New Year !

Maybe I am a dreamer..

It is said that dreams come true, but they do not come true without our help, we are the one who makes them come true. Imagine your dream. Now think why is it still just your dream? Do you do something to fulfill it? Or maybe you are just waiting that something will happen without doing nothing?

Do you know why so many people leave their own dreams behind?  We, as humans, are not afraid of being weak, we are afraid that we are too powerful. In fact, each of us wants to make dreams come true, wants to go beyond certain living standards, but most do not do anything. Why? Because people are afraid of their dreams. They are afraid that it will be hard. They know they are able to fulfill them, but this requires time, work and perseverance. Of course it's not easy. It's very hard, but it's worth it. You can be whatever you want, do whatever you want and live the way you want on one condition - you must let go of the fear that is in each of us, because fear destroys dreams. So blow away the fear, get rid of it and take the next step!  Let’s see what will happen J

Everyone has the same rights

Last time I read a book " To Kill a Mockingbird" and it touched me a lot. It contains very important topic which is I guess nowadays still popular. The novel takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. The main characters are three children whose father is a local lawyer. The reader observes the provincial community and follows the events through the eyes of a daughter of a lawyer who is six years old. Jean looks at the behavior of his father and the rest of the Maycomb residents. She learns the structure and morality of the community in which she lives. Many thinks that  what she observes is new and unclear to her, but on the other hand she has a childish fresh look, which is not burdened with the world of adult stereotypes, so she can see and understand more than many of them. But what is the most important for me in this book is that it shows a problem of racism which in that times were huge, especially in Alabama. The lawyer had to defend an African American who was accused of raping a white girl. Although it is clear from the beginning that he is innocent and has fallen prey to racial prejudice and hatred, the white Maycomb community prefers to believe the lies of the girl and her father. Racism and small-town ignorance are enormous, African American is killed for innocence.

This story shows people's brutality and soullessness. Why did skin color decide and still decide how we treat other people? What does it matter? Will the world ever understand that everyone, regardless of skin color, age, origin or gender, has the same rights and everyone is equal?

Christmas time..

Christmas market cannot be missed at Christmas time! Why? Because of the atmosphere of the Christmas market which is unique. It perfectly introduce visitors to the festive mood. That is why fairs have become popular all over Europe. What’s worth knowing is that The Christmas market is a tradition derived from the medieval German-speaking countries of Europe.

The most beautiful Christmas market in Poland, takes place in the historic Old Market Square in Wroclaw. During this time it becomes the backdrop for a fairytale scenery ... Among the fragrant Christmas trees, the aroma of hot wine and chocolate gingerbread, everyone are waiting for the power of Christmas surprises and attractions. Christmas market, no matter if it’s a Christmas market in Berlin, Poznan, or other city is for sure a perfect place to spend time with family and friends and it’s a the opportunity to feel the magical atmosphere.

Santa Claus is coming to town

It is difficult to clearly determine whether Santa Claus is coming to us on the sixth day or on Christmas Eve - legends and family reports are still changing on this issue. Anyway, in the previous generation, in most cases, he wasn't a big gentleman with a red beard. An Angel came to my dad on Christmas Eve, according to Grandma Gwiazdor, and not one of us probably heard about Grandfather Frost and Baby. What’s interesting, Sweden, Norway, Spain and the United States do not celebrate Santa's Day at all. You have to wait for Christmas until Christmas. It seems that we are lucky in Poland since Santa Claus visits us twice.

The magic of Christmas time cannot be limited only to the sixth of December! The more we stick to the preparations, the greater the joy will be when Christmas Eve finally arrives. So it's time to start counting down to Christmas Eve!

Why education is so important ?

Learn because learning is the key to success - parents repeated. Rightly. Education is so important, because thanks to it we have better life. Thanks to science, or rather knowledge, we can live in a community and be independent. Knowledge, however, is not only the ability to "be human", but also news about the world around us that we learn at school. Science has many fields. We learn about everything around us. We can distinguish between animal and plant, addition to subtraction, river from land, or noun from verb. We can do all this because we have learned it, because someone told us that. So what is the conclusion ? We learn not only because we want to get good job and earn a lot of money but because we can learn how to be a wise person, what is good and what is bad, and also learning helps us to be more open-minded for the world and other people.

Let's go to Cracow !

Last weekend I spent in Cracow. I think that it is the one of the best cities in Poland. It has some magic in it. I remember when I was in Belgium, and people asked me where I come from, when I answered Poland, they were always saying ‘oh, I was in Poland, in Cracow’ or  ‘I want to go to Poland, to visit Cracow’ and I have to admit that it shocked me. I’ve always thought that the most popular place in Poland is our capital, Warsaw, but it turned out that people from abroad appreciate more the city on the south of our beautiful country.  

Although that was my third time in Cracow, every time I’m there I discover new places. For me Cracow  is an old and dignified city, but at the same time vibrant with life. The past mixes with the present, and the history with modernity. What to see when you are for the first time in Cracow ?

The heart of Cracow and the living center of its culture is the Main Market Square, it is also a place for meetings and events, so you have to stay here for longer. There you can find Sukiennice (originally a trade place, now one of the branches of the National Museum) and St. Mary's Church, which is one of the symbols of Cracow, from which the famous Hejnał Mariacki is played every hour. Not far from the Main market square you can find Wawel Royal Castle which is considered as one of the finest Renaissance residences in Europe. What is interesting is that the area covered by the castle is comparable in size to the surface of the Main Square. The last place I would recommend while visiting Cracow for the first time is Kazimierz, it is a district of Cracow which was inhabited by Jews before World War II. Before the war, there were almost 60,000 Jews in Cracow and they constituted almost 1/3 of the city's population. Now it is a place where you can see old shops that were run by Jews, synagogues and Jewish cemeteries.

I think that Cracow has much to offer, it is for sure one of the most beautiful cities in my country so I’m sure you will not regret visiting it ;)

Beautiful journey

Let’s talk about Erasmus ! What a surprise, don’t you think ? Today we will talk about that…why it is worth to go for an Exchange programme! 
Firstly, it is a perfect opportunity to learn new language ! Most universities offer free or very cheap courses, but they often take place before the start of the course, which requires early arrival. It is worth figuring out earlier about entries and deadlines, because places usually end very quickly.
Secondly, travelling! Erasmus is a million adventures and wonderful moments, thousands of kilometers traveled during the journey, several hundred newly met people who will always remain in the memory and in the heart.
Finally, it is a great lesson of life, you learn a lot about yourself, you have to face your character. Sometimes you have to adapt to others, and not just yourself, overcome your barriers or fears. By opening yourself to the world and going with the flow, you can gain a lot.
So if any of you have this opportunity, don't hesitate. Break your fear and go on a journey of a lifetime - nothing is impossible, it is only sometimes difficult to achieve ;) 

Story time

Where I stopped last time ? Ah ok, I remember ! So me and Ania, we went for a language exchange, a couple came up for the idea of meeting in pub every Wednesday and speak half an hour in english and half an hour in french.  There were so many people from different parts of the world ! I mean really different ! I met a guy from India, and a lot of people from South America, but I also met there a guy from Italy, Mauro. We started to talk, he said he was doing there his PhD studies, then Kien, Vietnamese guy joined us, he was teaching at the university, he was so funny ! We had really great time there so after the language exchange we decided to go to a pub, where the guy from Miami, Jon, joined us and that’s how our friendship started J We started to go out together, we loved playing board games so very often we were hanging out, we just loved spending time together and thanks to them Erasmus became the best experience in my life J

So if you want to participate in Erasmus programme, don't hesitate, I promise it will be the best decision of your life, at least you won't regret it for sure ! 

A long break

Hi everyone after a long break. I didn’t write much because last year I was in Belgium, I was studying there thanks to the Erasmus programme from my University. I must admit that I spent a great time there so today I would like to tell you more about this opportunity, yes, it’s a huge opportunity for everyone who are studying !

At the beginning I didn’t know if I want to go abroad or no, I was a bit afraid and scared of living in a different country but finally I decided that if not now then probably never, so I packed my stuff, bought flight ticket to Belgium and that’s how my journey started ! I lived in a small ( ok, Beligum is not huge so it’s a relative concept) city called Liege. The first day was terrible, I was dissapointed, the city was ugly, I couldn’t find a place to eat something, and I was really, really hungry so you can imagine how I felt. Trying to think positive I started to repeat to myself ‘it’s ok, you can do this, it’s only 6 months, time flies fast’. The next day  I woke up and I saw a beautiful weather outside, I lived next to the river so I really liked this view from the very beginning. I went to the university with my friend, ahhh because I forgot to mention, I went there with my friend from Poland, we were studying together and decided to go together to Liege. So the first days we discovered places, where to do shopping, were to go to eat something etc. The university already started so we had to attend our classes. For me it was hard because my level of french wasn’t that high as I would like it to be so I had difficulties to understand what is going on during the course. It was hard but at the same time I had motivation to learn it.

Me and my friend, Ania, we wanted to meet some new people, we were alone there so we wanted to have someone to go out with and show us the city. Ania found on Facebook an event called ‘Language Exchange’ she told me about it and she was very excited, she said we have to go there. To be honest, I was tired and didn’t want to go there because it was during the evening, it was cold and far, I was lazy but she convinced me and that’s how I met my friends with whom till the end of our semester we were going out, talking a lot, and having a great time together ! But I will tell you about them in the next post ;)