Blog: Slovak art therapist's passion grew while living in poverty abroad.

Zuzana Krnacova was both tested and inspired while working a below-average job in the UK.My first three years abroad were very difficult.

I had a below-average job, with a below average salary. My husband and I lived in conditions I would never have accepted had we stayed in Slovakia.

I learned what poverty isBut things started to improve once I got a grasp of the English language. I started to read books again.

Literature became my great step forward.I gained access to new knowledge ndash these books were not available in Slovak When I transitioned into a more profession-oriented job, my life changed.

All of a sudden, I had colleagues to discuss things with. I started to feel inspired again.

From a mental point of view, I began to develop. It was then that I enrolled in a top Master's program.

Upon returning, I found that I could not use my skillsMoreover, after being away for over 7 years, I didn't know anybody from the professional field. I had to rebuild my network from scratch.

This stagnation came as a major shock considering my well-functioning work routine in the UK.But I knew that I wanted to start something in SlovakiaI wanted to continue to provide therapies directly to schools, just as I had been doing in the UK.

My goal was to work with difficult-to-reach children. Try as I might, I could not enter the system.

I tried through education, then through health care and even social services. Nothing worked.

There was no tradition of my profession in this countryThis led to the realization that it is not possible to directly bring knowledge from abroad. It is like trying to fit a large balloon into a much smaller pocket.

In order to fit, it has to break. In order to submit to the system, I had to learn how to walk the line.

I eventually began to implement...