Monika


Hi, I'm Monika, 30-years old, from Poland.

I've finished Social Work (BA) and Psychology (MA) in Warsaw, where I've lived for 11 years. I had a work that I loved – in foundation focused on kids, democratic education and treating children like subjects, not objects. You could think – ok, you're getting old, just find a husband and settle down! Maybe you'd be right – all my friends are getting married now, reproducing and taking a bank loan for 30-years to buy a flat.
I don't want this now.

I think everything started when I found a blog of Polish couple. They were travelling by hitchhiking, almost everywhere around the world. Then I realized that it's possible to live in a different way. You don't have to work 40 years in the same place (or different places, whatever), to buy a flat and to collect all of this useless things, new furniture, new cars. I felt that I don't want to wait until 66 years old and after that to have time for travel.

In the beginning, I did nothing – I had a boyfriend who used to laugh at me and my thoughts about travelling. After more or less 2 years my life has changed – boyfriend, fortunately, became ex-boyfriend, I went with my friends to Spain, where I used for the first time Couchsurfing and I've met my first host, who infected me with travels even more. After couple months we travelled together from Greece to Poland (mostly by hitchhiking!). I decided also to walk Camino de Santiago – I had a lot of days of vacation to use and I heard Camino is nice. I'm not a very trekking person, I'm rather lazy, so I really don't know why I had this crazy idea. I believe that everything is for some reason, and Camino was another step to change my life. There you had plenty time to think. So I was thinking. And I decided to quit my job and start to travel. I got back to Poland to close my things – there was a lot of preparation and tears. I had also some challenge – I have a dog, 7,5 years old labrador named Fiesta (she's Polish dog, it's just a name) and because of her I decided to travel by car – I have a 17-year old Peugeot 206. It was a risk of course, but my mechanic said it's possible to reach Spain (he wasn't sure about going back).


But first I went to Italy, because when my friend heard what I want to do, she also wanted to travel, only for one month. And also her friend... So we went to Italy, three girls and a dog in an absolutely full of stuff old car. We used website workaway.info where you can find places where they need volunteers for an accommodation and food. We stayed in Tuscany with an Italian couple, we helped them in their bed and breakfast place


After one month I went alone to Spain. To be honest – I was petrified. When I reached Spain I felt relieved. My first place was Hornillos del Camino – small village close to Burgos, on the Camino de Santiago. I was a volunteer in albergue (it's a hostel for pilgrims). It was a great time. After that I visited my friend in Galicia, later I had another work away experience in Andalucia (so I moved from the North to the South, another 1000 km) in a dog shelter. After that Sierra Nevada with a crazy host, so I run away but I found another place there, much better. As you can see – many adventures.


In the meantime on Facebook appeared an announcement of EVS in Murcia. I didn't know what it is exactly. But when I read they give you a flat and money I thought it's nice ;) Especially that workplace was in an organisation with people with Autism and Asperger syndrome. I don't know if you remember the beginning of this too long story, but I'm a psychologist, so for me, it would be very interesting experience and a chance for development. Especially that it was the last call for me – mostly EVS is for people under 30. I wasn't sure if I really want it, but I applied. After one month I got the reply that they want me. And that was it – all of the recruitment processes. Oh, of course, I had some problems with having a dog, but we solved it and I can have my dog with me, so I'm very happy.


Now I'm in Murcia for 2 months, I still have 9 more. I was afraid that it's such a long time and after my travelling and all of the adventures it would be boring. But it's not bad – I very like the other volunteers, our variety, we can sing „Happy birthday” in so many languages. And I absolutely love my work. I have problems with Spanish though - I started to learn already in Spain, so it's a challenge for me – at my work, no one can speak English. But I'm better every day and my work is extremely interesting, and people nice and funny.


I don't know what I'm going to do after my EVS. Probably keep travelling, somehow, in some way.


Sorry that it's so long, I can't write in a short way;)


If you can read Polish, I also have my personal blog: http://farbowane-rzesy.pl/

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