In Episode 19 of Pole-ish, we ask what makes someone leave Britain behind to build a new life in Poland.

Communications consultant Tom Lane swapped the drizzle of West Midlands for the sunlit uplands of Poznań after falling in love during the Covid years. He shares the story of moving to Poland, navigating the post-Brexit maze of paperwork, getting married across two countries, and launching his own communications business in a foreign language and culture. Along the way, the conversation explores Polish bureaucracy, learning the language (obvs), football, community spirit, quality of life, and how Poland for Tom increasingly feels more like home than the UK.

Elsewhere, Peter and John discuss Czechia, Nashville, amber, Żabka, churches, and the welcome return of the legendary 666 bus to Hel.

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Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Return of the 666 bus to Hel: https://notesfrompoland.com/2026/05/31/polands-666-bus-to-hel-returns-in-new-form/

Polish amber: https://culture.pl/en/article/amber-poland-a-history-crafted-in-resin

UNESCO Heritage Sites in Poland: http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/pl

Polish National Anthem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland_Is_Not_Yet_Lost

Myslovitz - Długość dźwięku samotności: https://open.spotify.com/track/0DqRsfmMvauRib1AsgpOP2?si=de6e5c9309ae4c01

Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c

For Episode 18 of Pole-ish, we’re joined by internationally minded Polish career coach, recruitment expert and intercultural communication specialist Lucy Bolin.

After living in six countries across Europe and North America - including the US, UK, Germany, Spain and France - Lucy shares what two decades abroad taught her about identity, ambition, language, belonging and the emotional reality of expat life.

We explore reverse culture shock, why some people never truly feel “at home”, how moving abroad changes your personality, and why learning the local language matters far more than many people realise.

Lucy also opens up about returning to Poland during COVID, raising a multilingual family, the emotional pull of home, and why she believes Polish people are uniquely adaptable abroad.

Along the way, we discuss confidence, self-awareness, recruitment culture, British food, Polish seriousness, beaches on the Baltic coast and the psychology behind starting over.

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Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Puszcza Białowieska: https://bpn.gov.pl/

Lucyna Bolin Coaching: https://www.lucynabolin.com/

Sviatoslav Kondrativ: https://www.youtube.com/@NaSkrzypcachGraSviatoslav

Marcin Wyrostek: https://www.youtube.com/user/wyrostekmarcin

Maciej Tubis – Into The Night: https://open.spotify.com/track/1wJq8P1gSQzp9fReVlsMOU?si=ecfa96e49abe476c

Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c

In Episode 17 of Pole-ish podcast, Peter and John are joined by Nigerian-born content creator Raphael Obi, whose hilarious and sharply observed videos about life in Poland have built a huge online following.

Raphael talks about why he moved from Nigeria to Warsaw, the culture shocks of arriving in Poland, learning the Polish language (or attempting to), and what it’s like being a Black foreigner in one of Europe’s most homogenous countries.

The conversation dives into identity, belonging, bureaucracy, Polish food, viral content creation, and why rosół apparently solves every problem in life.

Elsewhere in the episode:

• Peter discovers the wonderfully Polish tradition of the parapetówka
• John takes us deep underground into Poland’s legendary salt mines
• We visit the ancient settlement of Biskupin - the “Polish Pompeii”
• And Peter somehow survives another round of Three in Ten Seconds

Expect observations, laughter, honesty, and at least one attempt at Disco Polo singing.

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Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Follow Raphael Obi / DarkMagikCA

• Instagram: @darkmagikca
• TikTok: DarkMagikCA Live
• Linktree: DarkMagikCA

Wieliczka Salt Mine: www.kopalnia.pl

Biskupin Archaeological Site: https://biskupin.pl/

Bałkanica – Piersi (Będzie zabawa!): https://open.spotify.com/track/3bsxKpPB1rv80N8edDIZz8?si=6daa91481db549cb

Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c