FYI

After reading my latest blog post, a dear friend of mine sent along something that helped her when she transitioned back to America after being in Jerusalem for the year with the ECLA's Young Adult in Global Mission Program. I've adapted the list to fit my situation and have added some reflections. (I also replaced YAGM with Colleen!)

Some Suggestions for Helping your Colleen Return Home

1. Don’t ask the question, “So how was it?” Your Colleen cannot function in one-word answers right now, especially ones intended to sum up their entire year’s experience, and being asked to do so may cause them to start laughing or crying uncontrollably. Ask more specific questions, like “Who was your closest friend?” or “What did you do in your free time?” or “What was the food like?” or “Tell me about your typical day.” I feel its common knowledge that I don't tell stories quickly, so if you ask how it was, you had better pull up a rocking chair. It may be a while.

2. If you wish to spend time with your Colleen, let her take the lead on where to go and what to do. Recognize that seemingly mundane rituals, like grocery shopping or going to the movies, may be extremely difficult for someone who has just spent a year living in a country that does not speak English. One former YAGM, for example, faced with the daunting task of choosing a tube of toothpaste from the 70-odd kinds available, simply threw up in the middle of the drugstore. I do not anticipate vomiting anywhere, but I did almost cry when in the SMALL grocery section of a Mark & Spencer's in Warsaw. Suddenly being able to read and understand everything is very overwhelming. I have not been able to understand most of my environment so complete comprehension is going to be sensory overload

3. Expect some feelings of jealousy and resentment. Relationships that form during periods of uncertainty and vulnerability (the first few months in a foreign country, for example) form quickly and deeply. The fact that your Colleen talks non-stop about her friends from Poland doesn’t mean that she doesn't love you, too. It simply means that she is mourning the loss (at least in part) of the deep, meaningful, important relationships that helped them to survive and to thrive during this last year. In this regard, treat them as you would anyone else mourning a loss. I know that I couldn't have made it through the year without the support of my both my home and Europe people. I love everyone.


4. Asking to see photos of your Colleen’s year in service is highly recommended, providing you have an entire day off from work. Multiply the number of photos you take during a week’s vacation, multiply that by 52, and you understand the predicament. If you have an entire day, fine. If not, take a cue from number 1 above, and ask to see specific things, like students, travels or friends. Better yet, set up a number of “photo dates,” and delve into a different section each time. Given the high percentage of people whose eyes glaze over after the first page of someone else’s photos, and the frustration that can cause for someone bursting with stories to tell, this would be an incredible gift. I've included a good spread of my photos in my presentation to be shared with my congregation and at camp. Maybe ask to see this, even if it feels silly because it is just the two of us.

5. At least half the things that come out of your Colleen’s mouth for the first few months will begin with, “In Poland” (which is ironic because all I talk about here is "In America. . . .") This will undoubtedly begin to annoy the crap out of you after the first few weeks. Actually saying so, however, will prove far less effective than listening and asking interested questions. Besides, you can bet that someone else will let slip exactly what you’re thinking, letting you off the hook. I feel this is similar to the "At camp. . . ." stories that everyone has already put up with from me. I have also tried to keep up with some American pop culture things so we can talk about this too, mainly Glee, Grey's Anatomy, and The Bachelorette.

6. That said, speak up when you need to! Be assertive enough to create the space to share what has happened in your life during the last year. This one is really important to me! I want to know what is happening in your life! I know several friends have said, "I feel so connected to you because I read your blog." I'm so thankful for that fact, but at the same time, if I'm not reading your blog, I don't necessarily feel so connected. And I want to be! Your stories are JUST AS IMPORTANT as mine.


7. Perhaps you had hopes, dreams, and aspirations for your Colleen that were interrupted by her year of service. If so, you may as well throw them out the window. A large percentage of returning missionaries make significant changes to their long-term goals and plans. Some of them have spent a year doing something they never thought they’d enjoy, only to find themselves drawn to it as a career. Others have spent a year doing exactly what they envisioned doing for the rest of their lives, only to find that they hate it. Regardless of the direction your Colleen takes when they return, rejoice! This year hasn’t changed who they are; it has simply made them better at discerning God’s call on their lives. Don't worry- I am still seminary bound! LTSP here I come!

8. Go easy on yourself, and go easy on your Colleen. Understand that reverse culture shock is not an exact science, and manifests itself differently in each person. Expect good days and bad days. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Pray. Laugh. Cry. This too shall pass, and in the end, you’ll both be the richer for it.

I hope that this is helpful and that it can provide some insight into what I will be going through over the coming weeks and I move back to America. It's going to be a beautiful, joyous, exciting, but messy time! And today I can say, that I am truly looking forward to it!

Blessings,
Colleen

The Beginning of the End

First, I have an announcement. THE SUN AS BEEN OUT FOR TWO GLORIOUS DAYS IN A ROW!!!

Second, the end of my time here is Poland has truly begun. Today alone I have said see you later to over 10 people that I may or may not ever see again. This coming week is my last full and normal week of classes. And I need to tell you something: I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to come home. With each passing day I realize that this is going to be a messy process, both making my peace here in Poland and then again becoming comfortable again in America.

This is what I know I need:
-To be actively working on crossing things off my "Before America" list

-A charged camera battery to capture precious moments.

-Patience. For myself to let myself feel and embrace each emotion and each moment. And patience from my people (European and American) to let me find my words.

This is the beginning of the end.

Peace,
Colleen

Salsa Successes

Other than church and school, salsa class is that situation where I am most surrounded by a group of Poles that I am expected to interact with. Truth be told, it is the most demanding interaction I have with anyone here. In church, people do not really pay attention to me and they couldn't care less what I do as long as I am quiet and am sitting and standing on cue. At school, everyone knows that I don't speak Polish so I am forgiven for any blunders I may make, and in my classroom my students are expected to keep up with me. Salsa class is the exact opposite of these situations. Not everyone knows that I am American, I have to keep up, and everyone is watching what everyone else is doing. Therefore this hour and a half is the most demanding chunk of time of my week, but it is also the best time of the week. I am recognizably slow on the uptake because I have to wait to watch what the teacher does instead of just responding to what he says. But once I've got the moves down, I really am able to relax into the music and enjoy myself.

Here are some stories about my salsa adventures over the last week.

On Saturday night, Maria and I decided to go to a town outside of Katowice for the party of the Primavera Salsa Open, which is a national salsa festival. Some of the best dancers in Poland were at this festival and at the party. It was so cool to watch the skilled dancers let loose and have fun with their friends. I even braved the dance floor twice with two different partners. My first partner said that he didn't want to be my "master" so though he was a good dancer, he was a poor leader. My second partner was definitely my master and it was so much easier to dance with him! I am still a beginner and I've realized that I really need a strong hand to follow if he wants me to do more complicated figures than what I have learned thus far. This salsa party was by far the biggest I have been to yet, and it was a great night.

In case I haven't mentioned it, it has been raining here, incessantly, since April. It's still raining. So to go to my class yesterday, I suited up in my long raincoat, duct-taped rain boots, and umbrella. At the first crosswalk I came to a car started blowing his horn at me. I was very confused because I don't really know that many people here and I did not recognize the car. After a few more blows and some awkward staring, I realized it was two of my acquaintances from class! They pulled over and gave me a ride to the studio! I was so appreciative of their kindness. One of them also said something funny. He said, "Anna just told me last week that you are from America. I just thought you were shy and that you didn't like me. I didn't know you spoke English!" It was really sweet and very nice. And after that he had a lot of fun chatting with me in English.

My last story is from the Cesky Tesin Salsa Party. Maria and I went after her salsa class with a Polish couple who lives on the Czech side. The husband spoke in English to me, but the wife was shy and quiet. They invited us to sit with them and their friends. When Maria was dancing, I introduced myself, in Polish, to the woman who was also left at the table. I soon divulged that I'm American and it turns out that she and her two friends spoke English. Her one friend, spoke very well and we talked for quite a long time even after the other two lost interest. Also, one of the instructors from my studio, not my teacher but one of the others, asked me to dance. He knows I am a beginner, but he was a wonderful leader. After we finished he said that I was a fast learner and that he was impressed. I was flattered to know that my craziness in taking this chance is paying off.

When I came to Poland, I struggled with how to get involved and how to make friends. Everything was so overwhelming that I didn't know how to reach out. Because of this initial challenge with getting settled, I am even more thankful for my friendship with Maria and how she has encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone. I am also grateful for anyone who is willing to speak in English with me-regardless of their level. Though it has taken many months, I finally feel like I have some small niche here. I finally feel like I have a place where I belong.

Blessings,
Colleen

The Marks Are In!

I have officially entered all of my marks for this semester into the class registers. Well, almost all. I have three students who have missed EVERY class that a grade was given, so they have no grade. They have two more days to come and find me, or they will get a 1 or a 2. So other than that, I am done. This is a wonderful feeling, though somewhat frustrating because it is still only June 1st, and school does not end until June 25th. Why am I done so early, you ask? My grades are due before the regular teachers' grades because my grade is just a part of their English grade. So my grades are due on Monday and then their final final grades are due on that next Friday. I realize that it is still only Tuesday but we do not have school on Thursday and Friday because of Corpus Christi. So basically I needed to get them done and in, so I did.

Now I am somewhat puzzled as to what I am going to do for the rest of the month. I'm very thankful and very excited that I am leaving for a week to Lithuania with the first graders. I am looking into just playing some fun games and relaxing with the students. They have worked hard and I am more than okay with having less structured classes these last few times.

The other project I am currently working on is a Talent Show that will take place on the last Wednesday. In order to encourage the students to participate and break out of their comfort levels, I have agreed to perform if 10 student groups sign up. So far 2 people have, one dancer and then a "comedy show." Both of these groups signed up today, so I think I had better start practicing something! Yikes!

Oh, and the weather here. Still raining. We have sun here and there, but not enough to break through the gray that has been here since APRIL. Hopefully the sun will come out and stay out soon!

Blessings,
Colleen

Crunching the Numbers

As of today I have exatly one moth left in Poland. One month! I sat down to calculate some numbers that I thought would help me to put this all into perspective. Though I am admitedly counting down the days, I am doing this for two reasons. First I am excited to come home, but I also want to ensure that I'm getting the most out of my days here. I don't want to leave any stone unturned or come back thinking, "Gee, I wish I would have. . . ." So this is what my next month, my last month, is looking like:

-28 more lessons to teach.

-13 more lesson plans to write.

-8 more groups of students to assign final grades to.

-3 more afternoons with Zosia, my beloved four-year-old stead.

-3 more salsa lessons.

-4 more opportunities to worship at my Polish church.

-1 class trip to Lithuania with 40 first graders.

-17 dozen cookies to bake.

-2 class parties to host at my flat.

It's honestly very scary to look at these numbers. I feel like I've come a long way and it's weird to think that I've almost reached the end of this journey. I'm still trying to figure out how to tie up lose ends and how to leave knowing that I'm truly ready and done. Leaving home was scary, but sometimes I think that coming home will be even scarier.

Blessings,
Colleen

Reason #87401 Why Volcanoes are Annoying

I'm sure that you have heard about the volcano that erupted in April causing countless travelers to be stranded all over the world and in general causing mass chaos and confusion. Over the past few weeks, Europe has been sorting itself out. All of those who had been stranded have made it to their desire locations; the mail that had been backed up is again flowing in a normal pattern. The airlines have re-designed routes to avoid the small amounts of ash that are still being put into the air. Basically, we have coped. However, the volcano is not done with us yet. It has more tricks up its sleeve.

I have learned that as volcanic ash travels in the air across the continent of Europe it causes a lot of rain to fall. A lot of rain. Flood inducing rains.

It has been raining here in Cieszyn for well over a week now, and it shows absolutely NO signs of stopping. Last week the rain was just annoying. It was on and off, and was in general depressing. However, the rain has taken on a new identity since Saturday evening. It has not stopped raining for more than a few minutes and everything is officially flooding. The river has come up onto the pavement, and other smaller creeks and streams have flooded as well. More and more roads are being closed off every day. Increasingly more students are staying home either because of the roads being closed or because they need to help their parents help with their flooded homes. The flooding has claimed six lives so far in Poland. The weather forecast shows no break in the rain until Monday. . .and I'm not sure I can even believe that.

I was inspired by this weather to talk about natural disasters with my 2nd graders. They are a fun group, and I really enjoyed how they responded so creatively to some of my questions. Here are some funny quotes from them:

-"What is a mudslide? Like a mud avalanche?"

-"Floods destroy you."

-Two students were fighting about whether floods or droughts were worse, and it came down to where the person was: Africa or Poland. In response to this one student said:
"But she doesn't say its in Africa."

-Miss Colleen: "How can we help people survive a flood?"
Student: "You need heat absorption skills."

-Miss Colleen: "What is something that you could invent to stop a volcano from erupting?"
Student: "A cork. Made of cement. Or give the volcano tablets for a runny nose."
(Apparently a Polish comic book hero theorizes that volcanoes are just the effect of the earth's runny nose.)

-Miss Colleen: "And what about mudslides? What can we do to stop mudslides?"
Student: "We can build an anti-mudslider."
Miss Colleen: "What does an anti-mudslider look like?"
Student: "Like a normal anit-mudslider."
(The student then goes to the board to draw a picture of the anti-mudslider.)
Student: "And it has a pipe to take the mud away to a spa. And there are ogórki there too. Cucumbers. Cucumbers at the spa."

-In response to a question about whether the students would like to chase tornadoes for a living: "It's dangerous, but they are nice."

-After students have debated for several moments about how to make volcanoes safe, one exasperated girl says:
"But it's stupid to live by a volcano!"

And this is by far the winner of all the quotes:
-Miss Colleen: "Would you rather be in a flood or a drought?"
Student: A flood because we can stay home from school."
(I WISH!!!)

But do not worry, so far I am safe and dry. My flat is on top of a hill and is on the second story of my building. Hopefully the rain will stop sooner rather than later!

Peace,
Colleen

Miss Hetrick's Quotebook: Chapter 4

It's about time for another installment of silly quotes. Most of them are from my delightful students, but a few are from other local Poles and my friends. Enjoy!


-My 3g had the assignment of writing an interview between a journalist and a famous person of their choice. The first question asked to a famous singer:
"Why do you write your songs? For your grandma?"

-While practicing Matura conversations, one girl student was describing her fear of spiders. She said they make her scream, "I scream". While going over mistakes one of her classmates said:
"What does ice cream have to do with spiders?"

-During one of the same practice sessions one student said these words of encouragement to another:
"She needs to learn to trust herself. She speaks very well, but she needs to relax and let her words come out."

-In a television show on how-to make fruit salad, Michal instructed us to:
"Get out your crossbow and steal fruit from your neighbor."

-When out at a jazz jam session, a man sitting at the next table over said to me:
"You have a very impression American accent."

-Today I played pictionary/charades with my 2g girls at the end of class using words connected to travelling and holidays. This is one of the exchanges:
Marcelina: What does that say?
Karolina: Louvre.
Ola: What's that?
Karolina: It's French.
Ola: Why is it in French? I don't understand French.
Marcelina: What is it?
Karolina: The LOUVRE. The LOUVRE. The LOUVRE.
(No matter how times she said it her teammates still remained clueless that it is one of the most famous MUSEUMS in the world- which was the answer.)

-Finally, I want to share some of the reactions I have received when I confess to my salsa dancing partners that I in fact do not speak Polish. I pretend to be shy for the first few sentences, but once they ask me a question or say too much I say in Polish: I don't understand Polish; I am American. These are some of the things they say:
"Oh. Hello! Hello! Hi!"
"Well, let's speak English then."
"Ohhhhhhhhh, wow!!!" (said by a short man, doing a body roll at the same time)

I hope that you enjoyed these quotes as much as I did!

Peace,
Colleen