Appel Farm

Hi guys,

I am writing this note on Sunday night and hopefully I will be able to post it tomorrow.

So today we went to Manhattan, New York. I've met couple of really nice people from my camp and we went to get some coffee to Starbucks. They are lovely and I feel like it is very easy to connect with them, so that gave me a boost of confidence. They also praised my English, and said that they wouldn't have guessed I am from Poland.

After that we went to the pick-up place and was taken to Appel Farm via yellow school bus. The ride was very cool, we had the chance to talk some more and get to know each other better.

After arriving on camp we didn't even get a chance to relax and sit back, cause immediately we were given tasks and field games, including fulfilling forms, bunks integration, staff integration, department meeting and a campfire. That was very intense and tiring, but as the same time it was loads of fun. You really can become very confident and laid-back in here.

But there are two things that worry me. One is the fact that the usage of mobile phones will be very limited. I have a very close relationship with my family and friends, and not being able to communicate with the on a regular basis will be very hard for me.

The second thing is that I am afraid that I am not going to be good enough teacher. But hopefully it will be better than I presume.

It was a very long day, but I didn't have a jet lag, so that is cool. Hopefully I will be able to go to sleep now, because it is like 1 am.

I will try to write in here as frequent as possible, so if you are interested, you can just check in once in couple of days.

I miss you all so much, but staying optimistic :) I feel quite good in here.

Last night in my bed

Hello everybody!
This is the first note of many that I will make in this part of the blog which will describe my American Adventure. In couple of hours I will be heading to the Warsaw Chopin Airport to catch a flight to Berlin and then finally to New York City. Next day I will be accomodated in Camp America hotel and spend the night there. On Sunday I will meet two of my lovely co-workers and together we will go via bus to Elmer, New Jersey to start working on an artistic camp for youth called APPEL FARM.
Since today I will try as regularly as I can write something in here, mostly for my friends and family to keep you updated and also for myself, to have some sort of a memento, to hark back on in later life :)

My goals for this summer:
1. To be the best teacher I can possibly be. Inspire campers to develop their own ideas. Try to make them passionate about movies and culture. be a role model, somebody who they can rely on and who will make them feel safe and free.
2. Try to work through my own personal barriers and tiredness. And find at least a couple of minutes each day to meditate, be thankful and contact with Poland via blog or other social media.
3. Meet loads of wonderful people and be appreciative of their help, support and hospitality.
4. Make a movie cut from 1-second clips made every day!

(I have propably forgotten about something, but after packing 24 kilos - sic! of my backpack I have the right to be a little out of place, haven't I?:))

I am very sorry for all spelling mistakes that might happen here during the whole summer! I will try to be as careful and meticulous as I possibly can, but sometimes, unfortunately, writing on phone can by tricky.

Hopefully, I'll get back to you soon, so stay tuned! :)

2012-03-02 Young Guns in Copenhagen

'I found rebellion in self destruction

I need to find a place to lay my head

I walk then I crawl, I'm thankful to be moving at all

Considering all the places I've been on the way

Some people build towers, I just dig holes

On my way down again, hey'

David Nicholls, Jeden dzień

"Ulepszać ludzkie życie poprzez sztukę, szanować przyjaciół, pozostawać wiernym własnym przekonaniom, żyć z pasją, pełnią życia, dobrze. Doświadczać nowych rzeczy. Kochać i być kochaną, jeśli to możliwe."

2011-09-16 Meeting Young Guns in London

'Every hour is a season,

Every minute lasts a day,

So I sit here picking stitches,

'Cos I find comfort in decay,

How I long to fill my lungs.'

David Russell, Fighter

"So I stand at the gates,

Screaming "I am not afraid"

But there's, no-one listening to me.

Oh I know I'm to blame

For my hands amongst the flames

I just want to feel alive"

Christopher Isherwood, Samotny mężczyzna

"Co oni sobie wyobrażają, po co tu przychodzą? Oficjalna odpowiedź brzmi: przygotowują się do życia, to znaczy do pracy i spokojnych warunków do wychowywania dzieci, żeby je przygotować do życia, to znaczy do pracy i spokojnych warunków do wychowywania. Ale pomimo poradnictwa zawodowego, pomimo broszur, udowadniających, ile można zarabiać, jeśli się zainwestuje w jakieś solidne wykształcenie - na przykład farmakologię albo księgowość i zarządzanie, albo którąś z licznych dziedzin elektroniki - wciąż jeszcze, choć brzmi to niewiarygodnie, są tacy, i to wcale liczni, co upierają się przy pisaniu wierszy, sztuk teatralnych i powieści! Otępiali z braku snu bazgrzą w kradzionych chwilach pomiędzy zajęciami uniwersyteckimi, dorywczymi pracami i życiem małżeńskim. W głowach krążą im słowa, podczas gdy sprzątają w szpitalach, sortują listy na poczcie, podgrzewają dziecku butelkę z mlekiem albo smażą hamburgery. I gdzieś pośród serwitutów składanych konieczności, szalona niekonieczność szepcze im do ucha, żeby żyli, poznawali, doświadczali - czego? Cudów! Sezonu w piekle, podróży do kresu nocy, siedmiu filarów mądrości, jasnego światła pustki... Czy któremuś się powiedzie? Oczywiście. Przynajmniej jednemu. Może dwojgu, najwyżej trojgu - spośród tysięcy startujących." Christopher Isherwood

I mam nadzieję, ale nawet więcej niż nadzieję, walczę, żebyś być jedną z tej trójki.