Wonderful Poland

Volunteering in PoIand was extraordinary. I wanted to have a meaningful life after retirement. To me, life without giving is meaningless. Volunteering in Poland provided an opportunity to truly learn about the culture of the Polish people. Each and every day I was able to enjoy typical, fabulous Polish cuisine prepared by the wonderful staff at the manor house. I was able to meet the locals of the community and learn about their lives. As a tourist, the experience would have been very different, more like a check list, seeing all the attractions, rather than truly experiencing. My responsibility was to teach conversational English to preschool and elementary school children. I learned that I did not have to be a professional English teacher to be successful. I arrived each day with a positive attitude, showing interest in the children's lives and just being engaged. They learned from me, but I learned from them. I received true appreciation and respect from the students, teachers, all the staff from the schools, and everyone from Global Volunteers. When it comes to other cultures, although we may eat different foods, we may respond to things a little differently, we learn from service that we all share basic needs. People want to live with dignity, in safety, and with love.