The Dull Girl

Ever since I started this freelance writing gig, I envisioned a schedule for myself: a gentle wake up consisting of taking in the morning news while sipping coffee, and then research and writing, finishing up somewhere around 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

Then, I would go for a bike ride, shopping or, in the case of my present circumstances – setting up in a new town, exploring.

That would be followed by a nice dinner, perhaps some visual entertainment – a movie or TV show... and then go to bed and do it all again the next day.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Idyllic, even.

I was living in China at the time my partnership with Superprof started. I had classes to lead, students to coach... no time for morning news and the day certainly did not end at 3 or 4 PM.

There was coffee, though.

I squeezed my writing assignments in between classes and on weekends, having already explored Wuhan in depth. I did take bike rides, and, how I miss them!

Arriving stateside did not permit implementation of my schedule either: there was always something to do and, toward the end of my sojourn there, someone to avoid: that kept me at the computer every day.

And then, I came here, seriously behind on my assigned writing and, in spite of my elation at this new lease on life, I was compelled to stay on the computer, nearly completely foregoing the urge to explore and discover.

Nearly...

Until that fateful day, 2 weeks ago, when a combination of momentary inattention and unmaintained sidewalk conspired to bring me down, quite literally, to the ground.

Since then, virtually all I’ve done is sit in my room with my arm propped up, and work.

Every few hours, I’d shuttle between the kitchen an my main room for food (I figure I don’t have to mention the bathroom breaks... do I?).

On those occasions that food ran scarce, I’d brave the stairs and the treacherous sidewalks to the store, and then come right back home.

Of course, it is the sidewalk’s fault that I am injured; blaming myself is just too scary!

You know what else is scary? Looking down a flight of stairs when you have vertigo.

In fact, were I to assign blame on myself for my fall, it would be for this current bout of vertigo that somehow just won’t leave me.

These days, I go down the stairs backwards. My left arm being incapacitated and the bannister being on that side, being beset by vertigo, I have no choice but to scrabble down in the only way I am guaranteed to have a handhold, right?

I’m just glad none of my neighbors have seen me crab down the stairs...

The long and the short of it is that, soon enough, it hit me that I was doing nothing but sit at the computer and work, spending all of my time indoors.

To my horror I realized I had become the dull girl; she of the “All work and no play” variety. And with a whole, brand new city out there to explore!

That simply will not do.

I had finally gotten caught up on my Superprof articles and, while it’s true that my new assignment came in at the start of the month, I reason that I am entitled to a day off, even if the prospect of falling down the stairs or on the sidewalk totally freaks me out.

I’m going to have to do something about that...

But not today!

Today, I am riding trams – that way I don’t have to worry about tripping and falling. And then, I will treat myself to a meal out, take care of some business, do a little shopping and then, head home.

C’mon! Let’s go ’sploring!

Szczecin, or Stettin in its former incarnation is the capital and biggest city of the West Pomeranian Vovoidship – a fancy name for ‘county’.   

Its recorded history goes back to the 8^th Century, when Duke Barnim the Great was awarded the land and built himself a castle. From that time on, this poor city changed hands so many times – because of invasions and land grabs, because of treaties and negotiations...

The first aspect of this city that any eager traveler would notice is the stunning architecture and convoluted street layout.

Indeed, city green spaces and roundabouts abound, as do narrow, cobbled alleys, shooting off at different angles from main roads. Soaring façades with sculpted window frames peer down on it all.  

If the city is reminiscent of more famous European villes such as Paris, there is a good reason: the same person designed both cities!

George-Eugene Haussmann, a lawyer and politician by trade, was appointed – initially only to connect the Louvre to the Hotel de Ville, by Napoleon III. So impressed with Sir Haussmann’s work was he that he then tasked this visionary, who was neither architect nor civil engineer, to ‘redo’ the entire city.

Mr Haussmann later fell upon heavy criticism for the expense and lavishness of his work.

All was well as long as the Emperor was giving orders but when Napoleon decided his legislative body should have a measure of power, there was no quieting the clamour over the money spent rebuilding the city.

The visionary was disgraced and forced to resign. He then came to Szczecin and, in about a year, wielded such influence that the city became the new drawing board for his urban vision.

And what an appealing vision it is!

Incidentally, his work was not confined to Europe. His efforts also inspired the City Beautiful movement in the States.

Riding trams around and through the city is the perfect way to take all of this in. Slow and clattery, some of these conveyances are more than 40 years old, yet they rumble sturdily on.

Szczecin has 12 tram lines, some of which run parallel routes, at least for a time. Most terminate in remote city regions; I found the newest hospital at the far end of Line 3, in a district called Las Aronskis.

I also found the train station!

In most Chinese and European cities I’ve visited and even in the States, train stations are an integral part of city center. Which is odd because there isn’t much passenger train traffic in the States!

Here, the train station is off to one side, fronting the river.     

I’d been hearing trains rumble by and my pok is close to a railway bridge but, for the life of me, I could not find that station... until today!

Suddenly, I saw all of my travel dreams come true: boarding a train for who knows where – Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw and other exotic-sounding destinations.

My pack on my back, my boots on my feet... my vertigo (hopefully) vanquished.  

This dull girl has instantly polished up, the bright future of discovery wiping away layers of despondent grime.

Now I just need to figure out how to buy a train ticket.