One day, a governor visited camp with a camera crew. One of our teachers exclaimed, “we’re gonna be on Polish TV!” Our translator smiled and shook her head before saying, “It’s local, only five people will see it.”
For a few days, all of the American teachers had been learning how to play “Stand by Me” by Ben King on the ukulele (we pronounce it ooh-kulele). We performed for the governor and then for the students at a campfire.
In Załęcze, during our time off, we spent a lot of time biking the country roads, between the watercolor fields and blue Warta. It was a beautiful luxury to me, because it was different. I’ve never seen anything like it, and it was easy to enjoy and not see what life in this area would be like. For example, one of the Polish staff told me that, “here, biking is not so special.” She bikes ten kilometers to work and then ten kilometers back every day. Biking is a mode of transport; leisure is to walk or run but a bike gets you where you need to be.
As I biked, I thought about home. Still at the beginning of my journey, I can’t say I missed it yet, but I repeated in my head a mantra, that I hoped to discover a new appreciation for my home while traveling. I wanted to stay away for so long that whenever I return, I will miss it and be happy. I do miss my family, that is guaranteed and will never wane, but I wonder how home will change for me as I see more and more, and my mind turns it all over the whole way.
The trees flickered by in their perfect rows. The forest in Załęcze was replanted after the war, a massive forest planted by hand. I can’t imagine what passions went into its rebirth. It was on my seventh day in Poland when my brain clicked, and my mind synced to the landscape. I finally felt ready to write.
After I adjusted to the rhythm of camp and my momentary everyday life, it was already the second week full of holidays and practices, and a headlong rush to the final performance and showcase: EXPO.
Every year, the EXPO performance shows what the students have learned these past two weeks with art galleries, dances, skits, tongue twisters and through music. This year, our finale, the group performance, was a mash up of the songs “This is Me,” from “The Greatest Showman,” “Believer” by Imagine Dragons, “Look What I Found” from “A Star is Born,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Duke Ellington, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, and “Cant’ Stop the Feeling” from “Trolls: The Movie.”
The EXPO started to come together during the last week of camp as we ran the show practices before class every morning. For the dances, we danced on a hill in front of the students to teach new choreography. As it slowly came together, you could see the confidence build up and students begin to step out and lead the moves.
Rain came on the day of the EXPO. We moved everything inside and had a large turnout of friends and families of the students. This year is the last year of our Arts and English camp at this specific location. There are others across Poland, but it was hard to imagine not returning to Załęcze next summer to see the same students shining with their many talents and passions.
Since day one, the students who came in wide-eyed and frightened, they were loud and successful as we all hugged and said goodbye and they talked in English without much trouble. I think about my students often as they head off back to school at the summer’s end. I wonder if they are taking an arts or music class and if they all are staying in contact with the friends they made at camp. I have many wonderful memories and pictures of them all and each time I hear from anyone, it makes my day to hear that they are doing well and enjoyed camp so much.
For the staff, camp ended with an incredible group staff meal and dance. The accordion was broken out and we line danced the last time. Much thanks and love to the leaders of our camp, the Polish, and the American staff for the wonderful experience camp was.
Interested in teaching abroad in Poland? There are endless opportunities to find here:
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