Two years ago Iwona was studying for her MA thesis at the Catholic University of Lublin. Like a lot of English Language students, she used some of her three month holiday to spend time in the UK and improve her pronunciation. She was based in London and used the opportunity to visit Glasgow and meet, in person, a fellow student with whom she'd been in touch online.

Her long-distance relationship developed and she visited again, for a longer stay, flying straight to Glasgow this time. Then Iwona's by now boyfriend visited her and her family in Poland. This year Iwona made the decision to move to Scotland and see if she can make a life in the UK. She's been here two months now.

This is the first time Iwona has tried living away from home, away from her parents and younger brother, as well as her two dogs and a cat. Her parents miss her terribly but regular phone calls, email, letters and presents help keep her in touch. She also uses the internet to keep up with friends in Poland, and others who've moved to London and Ireland.

Iwona left a good job, teaching in an English language school. She'd been planning to do a very highly rated course in Kraków, which would have opened up a choice of jobs. Her parents would have loved it if she'd stayed in Poland and gone on with the career she was developing. But they're getting used to the idea of her living in Scotland and have accepted her decision.

In 2004, Poland joined the European Union (EU). Before that, Iwona would have needed a visa and a stamped passport and she would have had to declare the purpose of her visit. Now, she just has to show her passport to pass through customs. Iwona is fiercely proud of being Polish and says if she'd had any problem entering the country, she'd have gone home and never come back again.

Iwona knows of others who've made a similar journey – students coming over to practise their English and working in bars, restaurants or hotels to pay their way. Others have come over to work, earn and save some money. This money goes a lot further when they go back to Poland (£1 ~ 7 Zlotych) so they can start a new life there.

Now Iwona lives in Glasgow with her boyfriend. She has a temporary job, in a bar, while she finishes her TEFL qualification. It's not the job she wants long-term. But she needs a job of some kind and she needs to pay taxes for a year before she'll be allowed to claim any state benefit. Her goal is to get a job teaching English as a foreign language and then, hopefully, go on to be a translator.

She gets back to Poland from time to time. Christmas with her family every year would be great, but the flights are always so much more expensive then and that's also a good time to make more money, working in the bar.

Iwona's settling in well to life in Scotland, although she was taken aback by the pub culture and apparent lack of summer! She feels distinctive, a Polish person in Scotland, and wants to quash our stereotypes of Poland. We seem to associate it with ‘being cold' and lots of vodka! Iwona has no plans to go back to Poland to live but she'd never rule it out.