A new chapter in Krakow

My name is Angélika, I’m 21 years old, and I’m French. I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Foreign Languages, specializing in English and Portuguese. After graduating, I decided to take a gap year before starting my Master’s degree. I wanted to take a break from my studies, discover new things, and have experiences that I probably wouldn’t have had by staying at university or starting a full-time job straight away.

As part of my Bachelor’s degree, I had to complete an internship, which I did at Karadeniz Technical University in Trabzon, Turkey, in the International Relations Office. During those few months, I really enjoyed discovering a new country, a different culture, and a completely different way of life. I especially loved the experience of actually living abroad, rather than simply visiting a country as a tourist. I also really enjoy meeting new people and discovering their stories and cultures. During my time in Turkey, I met some amazing people from many different countries, and these encounters became one of my favorite parts of the experience. After my internship, I realized that I wanted to stay abroad for a few more months and continue discovering new places and having new experiences. That’s when I decided to apply for a European Solidarity Corps project.

I chose to volunteer in a kindergarten because it is a field that is completely different from what I have studied so far. I was curious to discover how schools work in another country, how teachers organize their classes and activities, and what it is like to work with children on a daily basis. I also wanted to challenge myself by doing something outside my usual academic and professional background. I chose Kraków for several reasons. First of all, I wanted to live in a big city. I come from a small city in France, and I also studied in a medium-sized city, so I never really had the experience of living in a large and very international city. I wanted to discover what everyday life in a big city would feel like.

Kraków seemed like a great choice because it is a dynamic city, but it also has a lot of history and beautiful places to discover. I also really like the fact that there is a good public transport system, which makes it easier to explore the city and travel around. Another reason I chose Poland is that I had never visited the country before. I had always been curious about Poland, so I saw this project as a great opportunity to discover Polish culture, language, food, people, traditions, monuments, and landscapes. And there is one more important reason: winter! Winter is my favorite season, so I’m very excited about experiencing a real Polish winter, hopefully with lots of snow! I’m also a big fan of Christmas markets, and Kraków is famous for its beautiful Christmas market. So I’m definitely looking forward to discovering the city during the Christmas season 🙂

In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, traveling, and horseback riding. I’m also currently trying to learn how to play the piano, although I’m still very much a beginner! I’m also interested in sports, especially football and Formula 1. During my internship in Turkey, I even had the opportunity to go to a football match in Trabzon, which was a really fun experience. I’m really looking forward to this new chapter in Kraków. I hope to learn a lot from this experience, not only about working with children, but also about myself, Polish culture, and everyday life abroad. Most of all, I’m excited to meet new people, make new friends, discover new places, and create memories that I will hopefully remember for a very long time.