Before arriving in Poland, I had absolutely no expectations. And yet, this experience turned out to be more than I could have imagined. The support from INPRO, discovering a new country, and meeting people I now consider family made this one of the best things I've ever done.
INPRO made sure I never felt alone throughout the whole experience. I want to give a special mention to Lillith, who was always available to answer my questions, both before I arrived and once I was already here. That kind of support matters more than people realise, especially when you're heading somewhere completely new.
A big part of the work at INPRO involves giving presentations to primary and secondary school students. I had never done anything like that before, and honestly, the idea made me nervous. But I was supported every step of the way, and somewhere along the line something clicked. I gained a confidence in myself I didn't know I had. Now, given the choice, I actually prefer going out to schools over working at the office.
Office work was a different kind of experience, quieter, more varied. It's hard to describe exactly what it involves because it depends on what INPRO needs at any given moment. During my time there I built databases in Excel, prepared visit itineraries, and made illustrations. No two days were quite the same.
Now, the important stuff. I had never been to Poland before this project, and the first thing that hit me was the temperature. It can drop to minus seventeen degrees. I do not recommend this. Snow, on the other hand, I highly recommend. There is something genuinely satisfying about walking through a thick white blanket of it and hearing it crunch under your feet, and also, obviously, throwing it at your fellow volunteers.
I was genuinely worried about the food before arriving. I was completely wrong. Pierogi are one of the greatest culinary inventions in human history. And if Polish food isn't your thing, Rzeszów has restaurants from pretty much every corner of the world. Poles are particularly fond of Italian food, which is never a bad sign. And if all else fails, there is always Żabka. I could eat their hot dogs every single day. Whoever decided to put a continuous sausage grill next to the checkout is a genius. France, please take notes.
One thing worth mentioning: Poles can seem reserved at first and not always eager to speak English. This changes significantly after midnight. Rzeszów nightlife is a completely different world, and you can meet some genuinely great people in it. My personal recommendations: Jameson Pub for pool, K20 for the best game bar in the city. Soda Pub I will leave off the list for reasons that should become obvious within about ten minutes of arriving.
Living in a shared flat with people you've just met can sound daunting, and that feeling is completely normal. But the people who show up to volunteer are, almost by definition, people who came with the same mindset: to discover, to connect, to be open. That's probably why my fellow short-term volunteers stopped feeling like roommates almost immediately and started feeling like family. From the very first evening we were playing board games like we'd known each other for years. We cooked together, shared every meal, split every expense through Tricount, and went somewhere new almost every weekend. The sea, Tirana, Vienna, Budapest, and more cities whose names I'm still learning to pronounce.
I want to thank Méryl, Aurélia, Valentina, Steven, and André for coming into my life and making this experience what it was.
If someone offered me the chance to do this all over again, I wouldn't think twice.
Victoria - A Volunteer from France, whom we hosted for 2 months in 2026.