Short-term? Don’t freak out about the future. And travel. I want to visit my family in Guatemala properly, not just when I was little. I want to see the volcanoes and really get to know that side of me. Long-term? My biggest dream is to start my own brand. Maybe a small label that combines Polish folk embroidery with really bold, modern Latin American colors and patterns. Like, high-fashion wycinanki meets Guatemalan huipil. I know it sounds super specific, but I can already see it in my head. I’d also love to write and illustrate a graphic novel one day — something about growing up between two worlds.

When people say “But where are you really from?” I’m from here. My story is just a bit wider, that’s all. It gets exhausting to explain. Rigid plans and pressure: I need space to breathe and change my mind. The pressure to have your entire life mapped out at 18 is unbearable. Loud, crowded clubs: I’d much rather be at a small house party with good music or in a quiet pub with five close friends. Summer heatwaves in the city: Give me a crisp autumn day over a sticky, hot August in the concrete any time. Negativity and gossip: Life’s too short to constantly complain or talk behind people’s backs. Let’s just be kind and do interesting things instead.

Hey! I’m Mirtha. Yeah, I know, it’s not a typical Polish name. I’m 18, and I was born and raised in Wrocław, Poland. My whole life is kinda like that: a mix of cultures. At home, we speak Polish and Spanish, and we make pierogi alongside tamales for Christmas. It’s pretty cool, actually. I just finished high school, and I’m taking a year to figure things out. I work at a small independent bookstore downtown (best job ever). I’m the creative, messy-haired girl who’s always carrying a tote bag full of books, a sketchbook, and probably some random street food.

Old things with stories: I love flea markets, used books with notes in the margins, vintage cameras, and my grandma’s jewelry. Anything that has lived a life before me. Music that feels like a movie scene: I make playlists for everything — for rainy bus rides, for drawing at 2 AM, for walking through autumn leaves. Indie folk, some dreamy synth-pop, and classic Latin American rock are my go-tos. Deep, random conversations: I love when you’re with someone and you just start talking about the universe, your biggest fears, or the meaning of a song lyric. Small talk is the worst; real talk is everything. That golden hour light: You know, just before sunset when everything looks soft and magical. It’s the best time to take photos or just sit by the Oder River and think.