EN
The article presents an account of the author’s research path, following subsequent stages of the relationships formed between the author and the Gypsy-Roma people from the Chaładytka Roma group and the Polska Roma group. The description focuses on overcoming barriers of strangeness and cultural difference, and discusses different phases of rapport-building and developing mutual trust, along with their impact on the author’s access to various family and social situations. The author reflects on the characteristics that regulate the functioning of the group, its internal rules and hierarchies, as well as attitudes towards other Gypsies-Roma people. The article highlights some changes in the life of Gypsy-Roma people in Poland following forced settlement and transition to a settled lifestyle.