Hello there! My name is Marta Zielinska. I’m very grateful for your visit on this blog and your commitment to getting more confident and comfortable when working and living abroad.

If you’re not yet there with me, make sure to follow @projectabroadblog on Instagram! If you’re interested in working with me in a coaching capacity – have a look here!

And below – a random selection of facts about me, the author of this blog, so that you can get a better idea of the person behind the words and content.

1. I was born and raised in Poland where I lived for 23 years of my life and then I moved to London, UK, where I’m still based.
2. I work full-time in People & Culture space, my experience through the years spanning global corporate and scale-up environments in HR Administration, Recruitment, Talent Development, Global Mobility & Immigration, People Operations and Project Management.
3. I don’t have a favourite book. I definitely don’t read as much as I could. There are months when I don’t even have a book in my hand, but when I encounter a book that interests me I read it in no time. Recent one I liked: Factfulness by Hans Rosling ; One of the novels that really stuck with me as there is so much more to it than (as some claim) just swearing and a rebellious young kid: Catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger.
4. I speak two languages fluently (English and native Polish). I also know basics of French (just enough to get by from high school) and started learning Spanish too.
5. My favourite singer from childhood was Cher. (EDIT: and OMG I managed to make the childhood dream come true and attend her concert live in 2019! <3 I still can’t quite believe it!) But if you’d ask me what my favourite music genre is, I would not be able to answer. I’ve got a few that I’m not a fan of but otherwise listen to a whole variety of music depending on the mood.
6. I am 183 cm tall. I was always taller than majority of my peers and it was super hard for me when I was at school, especially in middle-school where boys haven’t quite started growing just yet 🙂 It stopped me from trying to wear heels or standing straight, I always wanted to appear smaller. I think that was also a factor in why I was so shy when I was younger. With time I figured that I will be taller than most people anyway, so whatever, I’ll just be myself and embrace it! Totally cool with it now. Plus – I can always see everything at the concerts or big crowded events, ha!
7. My favourite movies are (by category, because I just couldn’t choose one, no way, I love movies!): Lighthearted – When Harry met Sally; Musical – Singing in the Rain and West Side Story ; Drama – Notes on a Scandal ; Polish: Seksmisja ; Thriller – The Game .
8. I have a weak spot for milk chocolate and anything that contains it. Maltesers anyone? <3
9. I’ve done my first flight journey when I was 19 years old – it was to visit my friend in Edinburgh when she was studying there.
10. I visited 25+ countries so far, many of them multiple times to explore various regions, and many more with a finger on the map and through different people I worked with for sure. At McKinsey, I managed 600+ assignments to and from London to/from 80+ countries, regularly working with people from across the world. My main professional cultural frames of reference are Polish, British, American and Danish – as those are the companies and/or countries I worked with more closely and most extensively.
11. I don’t drink while I eat. As in, I drink some water or whatever is served before I start eating, eat the whole dish, and only then drink again. I don’t know why, don’t ask. I just got used to it this way and find it strange otherwise. Apparently, “it’s weird” 😉
12. I used to work as a tutor on summer camps for children from underprivileged backgrounds and/or pathological families (these camps were sponsored by a charity organisation and were held in the city, we didn’t travel anywhere). When I started studying psychology I initially wanted to go into children therapy and got involved in various activities which would help me understand their world a bit better, these camps being one of those.
13. I cry a lot. When I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m touched by a movie, emotional documentary or a wedding. I just need it sometimes to release my emotions – I’ve got a lot of them for sure!
14. I hate leaving home without breakfast, even if it’s just something small. With breakfast, I can go on until late afternoon if need be, but otherwise I get h-angry and just not having a good day usually.
15. My favourite show of all times (and I seriously doubt this would ever change) is Friends. The Gilmore Girls are a close second though.
16. I consider myself an introvert – I like people, supporting them, and spending time with my friends, but I’m much better in smaller groups and when I have some time in between to recharge on my own.
17. I am not a huge fan of sports, I’m sad to say. But I know it’s necessary for health so I was desperate to find some activity that I wouldn’t be bored by after a few weeks. I found it – it’s pole dance and fitness. And if you’re skeptical or have an awkward grin on your face right now, google ‘pole fitness championships’ or go take a class yourself. It’s a demanding sport.    
18. I love ice cream. In the summer where the usual chocolate becomes a bit more tricky to eat I swap it for ice cream. Funnily enough, I don’t like chocolate-flavoured ice cream…
19. I speak fluent English, but in my head I still spell out the word Wednesday before writing it down (why is it so complicated!), and don’t feel 100% comfortable especially in loud spaces when I have to mingle with native speakers.
20. My motto is: It won’t always be like that. It was my friend’s grandma who I heard it from and I adopted it as it really resonated. If things are really bad – remember, things change and it won’t always be so horrible. If things are amazing – be grateful for them and don’t take them for granted because again, things change and it won’t always be like that. This keeps me grounded.

If you yourself are wondering about whether to move abroad, here are a few useful articles you can browse through:

Is moving abroad a good choice?

What’s it like to move abroad as an adult?

Things to have in mind when accepting an assignment abroad