On coming to Poland for the first time, I was incredibly nervous about where I was living. On my first full day in Chełm, Dorota knocked on my door with flowers and breakfast to show me around. She has introduced me to her family and done everything she could to make me feel at home in this new place. Dorota grew up in Chełm and came back to raise her family here. I have felt at home largely because of her and the kindness of her family. She has shown me a lot about what it means to be Polish.
My name is Dorota Górnik.
I live in the countryside in Chełm. My house is very pretty with a large garden in the backyard, a pond with an island and even some beavers! The beavers are cool, but also annoying because they keep knocking down my trees for their dams!
My family is unpredictable, crazy and very noisy. I have two loud children that are still in primary school (in Poland, primary school consists of 6 years of schooling for children 6/7- 11/12 years of age). They keep me very busy. We love to have visitors staying with us, especially from the U.S., and we're very hospitable.
