Well in Warsaw

I was born in Warsaw, but my heart belongs to two countries: Poland and Scotland. I spent 7 years of my life in Edinburgh, my second home.

My Scottish experience wasn’t always sweet and easy (and it wasn’t just due to the weather!); there were times when I found it quite challenging. Life throws different problems at you no matter where you live. But when you live abroad it somehow feels like the issues or concerns have an entirely different context – a bit more challenging and difficult. Just the fact you are far away from your home country, and your long-term relationships with friends, and family can be tough in times like this. Does it sound familiar? Well, it was my story.

I was working a lot and I didn’t have much energy to network and reach out to people, socialise and build relationships. Scottish weather didn’t help and during the long winter months I suffered from depression…Put simply: I found it really difficult to adapt. It may or may not sound like your story, which is absolutely fine. What I’m trying to say is I really do have a good idea of what kind of struggles an expat might face.

When I was in Scotland I was also missing a community that would give me a sense of belonging. A place that would offer a safe, friendly space for people from different countries and cultures, who were not just looking for spending their leisure time together – going for drinks, cinema or cycling, but would present opportunities for supporting each other, talking about struggles, creating meaningful relationships. A place facilitated by professional psychologists and facilitators who had a very good understanding of those issues and would run development workshops or other events enabling deep connections with others.