Krakow: Slow Down—or Your Body Will Do It for You
When You Leave, You Return Changed
Every time I leave home and go out into the world, I come back a different person. I believe stepping outside your bubble is absolutely essential—especially in this age of algorithms and social media constantly feeding us more of what we already know. That “AHA” moment—that sudden realization that you were wrong about something—feels like it’s disappearing.
Each morning, I skim through SME, Denník N, BBC, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, and some links Rick Cox sends me from the U.S. I read global newspapers to get at least a basic sense of what’s happening in the world. Recently, I stumbled across an article about a wildly successful fictional Korean group that has more followers on Spotify than BTS. I use a browser plugin that translates articles into Czech, so I can read from different perspectives. But I’ll be honest—I don’t spend much time on it. In the culture sections, it often feels like artists barely exist anymore.
Chasing the AHA Moment
I travel to chase that AHA moment. “I didn’t know this existed,” or “I never thought about it like that.” Sometimes, I just watch how locals live, talk to them in English or Polish.
Years ago in Krakow, I came across a theater performance in the city center—World War II-themed—and it left a strong impression. Parents locked in a cage, a child admiring giant soldiers on stilts. I’ve always felt Polish people are deeply rooted in culture. Real artists reflect the spirit of their time—and you can feel the depth of the work behind it. The truth…
Where We Went
With my family, we visited Schindler’s Factory Museum (brilliantly interactive—even on my seventh visit I discover something new. It always leaves me with a bitter taste—how little we learn from history), MOCAK Gallery (we saw works by Dorota Mytych, Marianne Boruch, and Krystian Lupa—a striking piece featured a chair with roots or tentacles. We discussed it for a long time. A chair is usually a place of comfort, but here it felt like a symbol of solitude—being trapped in your own thoughts. The tentacles looked like a desire for human connection. But if seen as roots, it became an image of someone sinking deeper into themselves), the Banksy Museum, and Galeria Krakowska (Zara, Sephora, and all the usual suspects).
Kazimierz is a classic—tiny bars, especially Alchemia. Outside at the market, I randomly bumped into a costume designer from the Rzeszów theater, where I did the music for Maria Stuart. We love trying local stuff—food and beer. By accident, we discovered Eszeweria—I think I like it even more than Alchemia. It was packed with young people and felt alive.
I’m always happy to see young people at my concerts. And when I travel, I like to seek out places where they hang out. There’s a certain energy that surrounds them. I genuinely feel good among them.
Digital Travel Diary
I like using ChatGPT as an assistant. I created a project called KRAKOW 2025 and planned the whole itinerary there. I took pictures of letters from Holocaust survivors at the Schindler museum, menus, buildings, posters. Everything’s in one place. We even discussed that chair installation together.
One Small Annoyance
One thing I don’t like in Poland—carbonated beer with no foam. I always ask for a straw and stir it up until the foam forms and the bubbles are gone. :D
Reset and Exhaustion
It was just a three-day trip, but it helped a lot. Honestly—after the KOMARA tour, I was completely drained. I wake up at 7 a.m. feeling like it’s 2 in the morning. More and more often, I feel like burnout is right around the corner.
I’m probably putting too much pressure on myself. Music, blogs, podcasts, family… My head is constantly spinning with things to do: what to add to my website, what to write, how to move things forward. I practice guitar and think about new harmonic directions. I have a bunch of unfinished music with Arve and Rick on my desk—and I want to go to the U.S. to finish it with Rick in peace, fully immersed.
Meanwhile, there are two KOMARA concerts that need mixing, unread emails piling up… and of course, that question keeps echoing in my head: what’s next?
(This scene struck me: one soldier defends, the other executes—two opposing views of the same moment.)
Lyme Disease
During the KOMARA tour, I noticed a small bruise on my stomach. I thought I just bumped into something and ignored it. But yesterday it had grown a lot. I took a picture and sent it to ChatGPT. The response was clear—probably Lyme disease. I ran to urgent care, and the diagnosis was confirmed. Now I have a pile of antibiotics sitting on my desk.
Only now do I realize why I’ve been so tired the past few weeks. I never noticed a tick. The doctor said it could’ve been an infected mosquito.
Maybe my body is trying to tell me something. To slow down. But how? There’s so much I want to do—and life is short. I’m not allowed to exercise, because physical activity could spread the infection further. So I’ll write more blog posts, maybe record more podcasts. But to be honest—I’m completely exhausted.
Life is still beautiful.
David