First Stop: Warsaw, Poland

Where it all began... Warsaw, working at Era GSM. Cafe under this billboard is where I first hung out with some good friends.

The first stop of my 3-leg journey was Warsaw, Poland.  I used to live in Warsaw in 1997, while working for the startup mobile phone company Era GSM.  (I was in business school at Dartmouth College at the time, and working for Era GSM was my summer intership - arguably the best summer of my life.)

So 2007 marked my 10-year anniversary.  I had to go back to visit Warsaw, and more importantly to see some old friends, including a dear ex-girlfriend (now married with an adorable daughter).

I stayed for about a week, shacking up at the Polonia Palace Hotel - a very nice hotel located right in the city center.  I had no desires to travel outside Warsaw, as I'd done plenty of that during my 4 months living there.

I just hung out in the city - cafes, restaurants, pubs, streets, parks, etc.  Spent a couple great afternoons with my ex-girlfriend.  It was amazing to see her after all this time - she looks exactly the same except now with beautiful daughter in tow.

Aside from seeing her, other highlights included a few late-night club excusions, meeting new friends, and my hotel breakfast which included all the caviar and vodka I could eat/drink.  Awesome.  Bars closing at 4am is both good and bad...