When can you really call a place really home?

I’ve been thinking about that a lot since we just arrived at the one year mark in Warsaw. And then it hit me:  as an expat, it is in when you can recommend not-so-easy to find local services.

Just last week I did that.  I gave out the name of a swimming instructor that teaches in English to a friend that has been living here in Warsaw a long time.

That may not be in a big deal when you are living in your home country and speaking the language but it means something, at least to me, living as a non-Polish speaking resident of Warsaw.

It took me a while to find this instructor.  He is Australian so coaches in English and worked with me on the pool I wanted to go to and the type of lesson I wanted to organize for Miss H.   He also had a website (instead of just a mobile number, which I had for another English speaking coach) so I could check him out properly.

He turned out to be an excellent coach and great with children, and I have been recommending him to friends and acquaintances ever since.  Miss H has gone from ‘fearless and I think I can breathe in the water’ to ‘I can do the forward crawl and the frog kick and mom I will not drown so stop worrying’ in the process of a few short months!

Here is his website if you live in Warsaw and are interested:  Anthony Personal Swim Trainer.

And, if you want a nice pool to go to where you can do laps and the kids can do slides, then Wodny Park in Mokotow is the place!

I’m so glad that I could connect friends with Anthony and Anthony with friends.  Now: I need to do a better job of sharing those great finds!