Leaving Italy for a New Life in Poland

It has always been my dream to live in Eastern Europe. My mother studied Slovak and Czech and Russian in university and she spent some years during her youth studying in Slovakia. She made many friends,  whom we visited often while I was young.  We also visited Prague and Romania. I enjoyed the food, the environment and the people.

When I was offered the a job in Poland after completing my Masters, I came without hesitations. My mother had just died, and with the unemployment rate constantly increasing, I couldn’t find any regular jobs in Italy.

So far, I like living in Poland. Life is simpler in Poland than it is in Italy. People are not as concerned with fashion. The nature is beautiful. Around Lodz, there are lots of trees and flowers around Lodz. On my way to work, I pass through a very wide street and I like it a lot. The trams and the buses go up and down. People cross it from one side to the other. In the morning I see beautiful children going to school with their mothers or fathers.

On the tram, I meet the same people every day: a father who brings his little girl to school in the morning; an elegant woman with sober clothing who apparently goes to work. There is also the man with the Quechua black jacket who waits for the 7.57 bus at Dabrowa in the morning. He stops where I do and then catches the tram in the direction of Drabrowskiego Square. I like meeting all these new people.

I like countries where people do not care as much as we do in Italy about buying really expensive brand-name clothing and where people smile at you in the streets and help you find the right stop on the bus.

Here in Lodz you can find a number of people selling flowers near supermarkets or at the corner of the main street. Polish people buy them on their way home or while shopping. I noticed some lovers buying flowers for each other. The best flower market I have seen so far is near the main ballet theatre and opera house in Dabrowskiego square. It is full of roses.

One friend of mine told me that she liked it so much that she bought a bunch of roses and a tulip. It was actually inexpensive or at least it looked like that to her because she is accustomed to the higher prices of another country. But indeed they were not expensive.

I like countries where people do not care as much as we do in Italy about buying really expensive brand-name clothing and where people smile at you in the streets and help you find the right stop on the bus. I like countries where you see parks full of children and people sunbathing. I like countries like Poland.

Leaving Italy for a New Life in Poland

This is not to say that I do not miss Italy. I do. I miss my friends very much but I am also happy here and I am glad to be here. However, I look forward to seeing my friends again. They are incredibly dear to me and I have to fight the impulse to go back to Italy to my house, to my native city and to the people I grew up with.

But now I am in Poland and I plan to stay for some time, probably a very long time. Here there are jobs and you feel valued and appreciated, while in Italy you do not. Or at least, you do not in regular jobs; perhaps you can find satisfaction through baby-sitting or through other temporary jobs but they are not long lasting.

Leaving Italy for a New Life in Poland

Because of this situation, some people hate the Italian government and immigrants and hold them responsible for the status quo. I just think that it is the fault of the European Union, which has not been a good thing for many countries. It is nice in theory but you need diversification in fact, not homogenization.

I came by bus and I was thus able to catch a glimpse of Krakow and Warsaw. They look like beautiful cities. I plan to visit them in the future. Big cities like Rome scare me a bit because I am not used to them. Venice is a small city and we lead almost a village life there. There are no cars, only boats.

However, Krakow and Warsaw seem like cities where it is possible to walk around and enjoy the beauty without problems. Besides Lodz is the third biggest city in Poland after them and I am really enjoying it. Piotrkowska Street is probably the most famous street in Lodz. It is really fascinating with all of its pubs and fashionable shops but I am glad I do not live in the center. It is relaxing to be removed from confusion and to enjoy the bus ride home, everyday. It is nice to go there on weekends, though.

 

Leaving Italy for a New Life in Poland photo by Unsplash.