Dawid Mzyk and Marta Plominska have not always agreed on where their educational or career paths might take them. Both students are from Poland. Mzyk was born 28 years ago in the city of Jaworzno. Plominska, age 25, was born in Radzionkow. Both are musicians. Mzyk plays trombone, while Plominska plays another wind instrument: the flute.

The two had been in a relationship for several years when Mzyk earned a master’s degree at the Academy of Music in Kraków. He completed his studies in 2014. At that time, Plominska still had a few years left in her own master’s degree program at the Academy of Music. But Mzyk could not wait to continue his education. He felt any delay would limit him from pushing his abilities as a musician even further.

About 10 years earlier, Mzyk had visited the United States and enjoyed his time there. So he decided he wanted to attend an American college or university. However, Plominska had no desire to leave Europe.

İn the end, Mzyk was admitted to a two-year program at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. He began studying there on his own in 2015.

But Mzyk and Plominska would not let their differences nor the distance end their relationship. In 2016, they decided to eventually get married. And once Plominska earned her master’s degree, she agreed to come to the U.S. and give its higher education system a try.

From her very first day in Georgia, Plominska says there were major difficulties she had to overcome. For example, Kraków has a large public transportation system, which many locals use, while Columbus has only a few buses. Without a car, she and Mzyk found it hard to do what, back in Poland, had been some of the simplest things, such as going to a store to buy food.

But Plominksa says she also noted a major difference in the behavior of Americans compared to the people back home.

"The people in the U.S. … they are really smiling a lot, I think. They smiling on the street when they pass you, and they usually can say, ‘Hi. How are you?’ which will never happen to you in Europe."

Aliqismet BADALOV,
“Khalq qazeti”