Erik Bakke, now the director of an intensive english program, has always nurtured his passion for the creation and study of art. In the early 1990's he spent time living in both Osaka, Japan and Poznan, Poland where his primary source of income came from teaching. But his world consisted of artists in addition to academics. From reflections on the national economic trends in both countries to recounting the artist scenes, Erik's stories of his experiences remind us that one of the reasons we love to travel to different places, is because these places often offer up unique surprises - no matter our expectations.