I threw back a shot of vodka. Then another. Then another, until I started to think the picture on the right was a picture of Cyndi Lauper. Not because I was drunk, but because I was the only solo drinker in the tiny corner Wodka Bar on Mikołajska in Krakow, and I still had three more flavors of wodka in my flight to try.

I didn’t care. I never mind being the lone person anywhere I go. Because in the eternal words of Cyndi Lauper, “girls just wanna have fun.” And, like Cyndi (let’s pretend that picture really is her), I do always have fun!

I mean — just look at her! Doesn’t the girl in that silly piece of artwork look like she’s having fun? Looks like someone I would have loved to sit there with all afternoon. I loved throwing back shots of vodka in Poland with her.

First Chocolate Chili. Then Cherry. Then Salted Caramel.

Cyndi and I were having a blast.

Then Honey. Orange. And finally, Ginger.

By then, Cyndi and I were well into being in love with Krakow. (And vodka.) We watched tourists walking by the window. We listened to American 80’s songs playing as background music while tables full of friends chatted.  Groups of people stopped to look in the window. Most moved on.

Fools!

Then Cyndi and I silently debated which flavors I should try to buy to take home. We wondered how many bottles I was allowed through Customs. We wondered who else we needed to buy wodka for. We decided one for everyone in my family, but then wondered again whether a suitcase full of vodka was practical? (no), and/or legal? (no). But surely, we could take back one or two– or three bottles. Surely!

So the bartender helped me make my choices. He didn’t have any of the Chocolate or Chocolate Chili in stock, but he said I could buy some cheaper in the chocolate shop on the market square. What a nice guy!

Cyndi and I toddled off on our way and soon circled the entire market square without finding a chocolate shop. Actually, I’d lost Cyndi somewhere along the way. I thought if I had to, I could find my way back to her and ask the bartender for directions, but instead, I stopped and had dinner. And then strolled through the shops and enjoyed my last few hours in Krakow.

Finally, I headed back toward my hotel and suddenly, there was the Chocolate Shop! So I wandered in, handed over my credit card and got two bottles chocolate wodka. Then I headed back to my hotel to get a few hours sleep before my taxi arrived at 4:00am to take me back to the airport.

All five bottles of wodka made it back with me, safe and sound. As did the picture of Cyndi, which I printed and framed and hung in my house. She will always remind me of Krakow — and all the fun this girl had there!

The Wodka Bar offers 120 different flavors. What flavor would you look for first?