When I still thought my life would be connected with fashion…
In the end, after strong persuasion from my parents, I graduated from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow with a degree in Environmental Engineering. What did these studies teach me? Above all (and probably only) how to scheme. In the meantime, I had many interests and tried different things. During the summer before starting college, my friend convinced me to become an animator during a retreat. I agreed because I needed some relaxation after a year of preparing for my final exams. I thought it wouldn’t be for me, but I got into it, especially since they had a mission to help poorer countries. I wanted to go on a volunteer trip to India with this organization. However, everything fell apart because my parents didn’t agree. After three years of studies that I was completely uninterested in, I had even less idea of what to do with my life. My self-esteem at that time was zero. Of course, this was in terms of my professional life; personally, I had a group of friends I often met with. I knew that if I didn’t start doing something for myself, things would only get worse. That’s why I decided to retake my final exams and study law, something I had always thought about but didn’t choose initially because of my parents. This time, I decided not to tell them anything, knowing they would try to discourage me and say I couldn’t handle it.
As an animator at missionary retreats.
I succeeded and got into Jagiellonian University, even though it was part-time. For a year, I functioned like a robot. I was simultaneously writing my engineering thesis, studying law, and working to be able to pay for my studies. When I was among the 200 out of 1,200 students who passed the first-year selection, I finally proudly told my parents the truth. I didn’t know what to do; on one hand, I wanted a break, to go somewhere, because the constant work and study were exhausting me, even though I lacked nothing. I had a comfortable life: I got a car from my grandparents, and my parents bought an apartment in Krakow where I could move, but I still felt something was missing. I no longer wanted to follow patterns and do what my family expected. That’s how the idea of the Au Pair program and a trip to the USA was born.
