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Living abroad

After my experience travelling through the Europe, I had sure that I wanted to live abroad. However, I thought that I wasn't brave enough to do this. I was always concerned about my family, my friends and my job. Actually I was afraid of this new kind of life.

During the last New Year's Eve, I started to think about my life and, suddenly, I decided that was time to do something and get my dreams up off the ground, so I started to planning my new trip to Europe, but this time, to study English.

In the beginning I just cried all the time, missing my family, my boyfriend, my dogs, my cat, my friends. After a while everything became easier. I met new friends and people from all around the world. I started to see that I was braver than I thought I was, but I also discovered that I was very needy too.

When I was in Brazil, I was always very independent. I appreciated to be alone in my room, just reading a good book or watching a good movie. However, with my experience living abroad I realized that being alone is not always so good.

Today I got used to the distance but I miss my old life. Actually when I came to Dublin, I was very upset with a lot of things in Brazil and very frustrated with my job. I was searching for a "new life" and I was open to new experiences.

Nevertheless, I can see now that if you are a foreign student, life here is not so easy and we don't have so many options of job. I have a Baccalaureate Degree in Law and also a Post-Graduate Degree in Medical and Health Law, but here in Dublin I am just a student and if I want to make some money I need to be content with a job as an au pair or a waitress. In the beginning it was enough for me, but now I started to miss what I was when I was home.

I don't know yet if I want to come back to my old life now or if I want to stay here longer. When we are studying abroad everything is very confused sometimes.

I know that the problems that I left in Brazil are still there waiting for me, but I also know that my family and friends will be there as well and this makes all the difference.

Now I can say that I'm a totally new person after this experience. I lived things here that I never imagined that I was capable to live and now I trust more in myself. Ireland also taught me that people are more important than things and money. Now I see life with other eyes and it's much better than it was before.

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Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.

Pope Paul VI

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Netherlands and Belgium

Netherlands is known for its flat landscape, canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. Its capital, Amsterdam, is known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age.

I was very excited to visit Amsterdam, with all its canals and flowers. The ride by boat is something that I really recommend. The Flower Market is spectacular and very colourful with a lot of nice souvenirs to buy. However, the country side of Netherlands is even more beautiful. 

Volendam, a town in North Holland, 20 kilometres north of Amsterdam, has a traditional fishing village with working class roots. This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The houses seem like dollhouses. It's a place where we can found a lot of Dutch clichés, including the traditional costumes and wooden shoes.

When I went to Volendam it was winter so, unfortunately, it wasn't possible to see the tulip fields but I could see those beautiful windmills. I also visited a small cheese factory and tasted the famous Dutch cheese with mustard. Extremely delicious!

After Netherlands, I proceeded to Belgium. The rout included Brussels, Bruges and Gent. One more time, the small cities enchanted me more than the big ones.

Brussels has a lot of historic places and monuments like the Mont des Arts, the Royal Palace, The Royal Museum of Fine Arts and the Manneken Pis, a well-known small bronze sculpture, depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin. However, Bruges and Gent enchanted me by its classy architecture and the sense of peace that they transmit. The people there is very hospitable and the chocolates are the bests of this world.

Unfortunately, this was the end of my first trip to Europe and it was time to come back to Brazil. Nevertheless, I was terribly happy and with my bags full of souvenirs, gifts and, also, a lot of stories to tell and good memories to share.

Netherlands

Belgium

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The land of the Queen

After Paris, the next stop of my trip was England.

London is a leading global city with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport. It is also the world's most visited city as measured by international arrivals.

Home of the British Monarchy, England has a lot of castles and palaces as well as numerous museums, galleries, libraries and other cultural institutions.

I was always fascinated for the history of the British Monarchy and its wealth. The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, is an inspiration to me. Beautiful, polite, elegant, intelligent and the future Queen of Great Britain. What else can a woman ask for?

During my first trip to England I visited places like the Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly Circus. Besides, it was a great experience to see famous monuments like the Big Ben and the London Eye for the first time.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit London again and it was an experience even more amazing than the first one. The Buckingham Palace was open for visitation and I was there. I was completely amazed by the opulence of that place. This year's special exhibition included a Royal Welcome, focused on the magic and magnificence of an official visit to Buckingham Palace. Such a special moment.

During the night, a walk on the Piccadilly road is always a good option. This road is widely regarded as one of London's principal shopping streets, hosting several famous landmarks. The right place for those who like to go shopping.

London is the right place for those who love musicals too. The Lion King, The Phantom of The Opera, Mamma Mia and Les Miserables are some of the musicals playing in the city. I am a big fan of Michael Jackson so, when I was there, I watched Thriller, a musical tribute to the undisputed King of Pop. It was two hours of non-stop hits and I recommend it to everybody who loves pop music.

In general, London enchants by its beauty, royalty and history. A place I want to visit many more times and will never be enough.

The Big Ben

The London Eye

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The beginning

Everything starts with a dream and everybody has one... or a lot of them. One of my biggest dreams was to visit Europe, more precisely Paris. This dream came true in January of 2013.

I came to the "Old Continent" with the desire to see all its beautiful architectures, museums, cathedrals, cafes and different cultures. It was one of the best trips of my life.

Paris didn't disappoint me. Situated on the beautiful Siene River and home of places like Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral and Champs-Elysees, Paris is the most incredible city in this world in my opinion.

Because it was winter, I was freezing but the cold didn't erase the beauty of the city. Words are not enough to describe the emotion that I felt when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. On its top, the wind was so strong I had the impression I was going to fly at any moment.

During the visit to Notre Dame Cathedral I was really excited. The energy I felt there was indescribable. Such a special place. The Cathedral is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and it is one of the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. A crown of thorns, which was believed to have been worn by Jesus, is exposed there and I am proud of have had the opportunity to see it.

During this trip I met a lot of people and had the chance to hear a lot of different stories. It was a really open-minded experience. France was the first stop and my first contact with the European Continent. There was three more places to go: England, Netherlands and Belgium. Each one was special in their own way. Each one taught me something about them and about myself.

The Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame Cathedral

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Nothing happens unless first we dream.

Carl Sandburg

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A little bit of freedom

Since I was a kid, I always thought that I should to be perfect. The perfect daughter, the perfect student, the perfect friend. When I grew up and went to Law School, my obligation was study like a freak and, after this, be the best lawyer I could be.

Of course nobody is perfect, but I felt like was my obligation to try and this was my focus during most part of my life. My biggest fear was disappoint people, not only the ones that I love, but even who I didn't know.

Because of this, I never felt free and I used to think that I would never be. So, reaching adulthood, some symptoms appeared like anxiety, depression, nervousness and I was always afraid of not being good enough for those who were close to me.

After a while, the desire of run away of everything that surrounded me started to cuts me inside. My biggest wish was to break free and live another kind of life. A life where I have the right to make mistakes, a life where I don't need to be perfect, a life where I don't care to other's opinions. So I run as far as I could and ended up here in the "Emerald Isle", because I thought that on the other side of the ocean I could be whatever I want.

So far, it has being the best experience of my life, not because here I am not judged (because I am, even more, and I will always be) but because here I learned that I don't need to be perfect to be happy. I just need to be myself.

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Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

Mahatma Gandhi