I’ve always dreamed of learning other languages, experiencing new things, getting to know different cultures, and living in another country. Originally from Minas Gerais, Brazil, I took a significant step by moving to São Paulo, where I had the opportunity to specialize in User Experience at the TERA Institute. I lived in São Paulo for 10 months, and due to some life events, I moved to Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. This experience was undoubtedly one of the most enriching of my life. There, I immersed myself in a profound process of self-discovery, became a Reiki practitioner, overcame my fears by learning to surf, prioritized my health even more, and reconnected with nature, contemplating countless sunrises and swims in the sea. The Magic Island, as it is known, became one of the best places in the world for me to live. I miss that time a lot.
In the midst of a pandemic, the opportunity arose to move to another country, specifically Miami, in the United States. Initially, the move was nothing more than a brief trip of maybe one or three months, but with a backpack on my back, I decided to embark on this dream, even without fully realizing what was to come.
Due to travel restrictions resulting from the pandemic and the challenging situation in Brazil, I had to quarantine in another country, so I chose Costa Rica before heading to the United States. As a freelance graphic designer, embarking on this journey was relatively simple. I thought I would live a nomadic life, but after spending 15 days in Costa Rica, working at a hostel, it wasn’t quite what I imagined. I’m a Capricorn and I like having a routine, exercising regularly, cooking healthy meals, and sleeping well. So, I discarded the idea of being nomadic and decided to extend my stay in the United States for the 6 months allowed by my tourist visa, to be able to enjoy and explore other places in the country.
The first six months in Miami were very happy. I fulfilled my dream of visiting California and went to Los Angeles twice, once alone and once on a road trip with friends, heading to San Diego and stopping in several other cities. I also had the opportunity to visit Atlanta and Savannah in Georgia, and I went to New York for the second time, this time staying in Brooklyn. It was great to explore more of this part of the city instead of Manhattan. I had already visited New York in 2019, also fulfilling the dream of traveling alone for the first time to one of my dream places; I’m quite the dreamer 🙂 When I went before, I stayed in Manhattan, so I didn’t have much opportunity to explore Brooklyn leisurely.
Time passed quickly, and at the end of the six months, I still wasn’t ready to leave. After all, my main goal was to improve my English fluency. So, I decided to extend my tourist visa for another 6 months. The problem is that in Miami, it’s a bit challenging to learn English because so many people speak Spanish, so I decided to change my visa status to student and indeed live the dream of speaking English fluently. When I started studying, my English was already advanced because, although people in Miami speak much more Spanish than English, I always chose to meet people who spoke English, which helped me a lot.
My quest for knowledge has always been something that motivated me, so, still in that first year, I sought to specialize in something I really like: living holistically. I graduated as a health coach from IIN, a school located in New York that offers the course entirely online, with the best teachers in the world. I had classes with Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, Andrew Weil MD, Sahara Rose, Deepak Chopra, Mark Hyman MD, Daniel G. Amen MD, and many others. This program, besides improving my English, significantly contributed to various areas of my life.
Today, as I review my experiences, I realize that I am fully living what I have always dreamed of. Studying at a school, living with people from different parts of the world, learning about other cultures, and even getting the gift of improving my Spanish with my friends.
The journey to this point has not been so simple. This year, in April, it will be 3 years since I moved to another country, and it was not always easy and happy. I miss a lot my country and I have thought several times about giving up, I have questioned many times what I came here to do, I got sick with a liver problem and ended up in a hospital, something that had never happened to me before.
However, every obstacle overcome has provided me with growth and maturity, and feeling at peace is the certainty that I am on the right path.
