– Living the Portuguese adventure: An update after 3 months–
Hello everyone!!! It’s been almost a three-month period since I landed here, and oh my goodness, how much has happened in this short period of time! The office has become like a second home, and I have made friends with everyone. Portuguese lessons with Nuno are an adventure in themselves, Portuguese is not exactly child’s play! But now I can also ask things in Portuguese when I am alone, so I would say I am making progress.
We had a big anniversary party for Rato, an event not to be missed. Unfortunately, we also had to say goodbye to Monya, who ended her stint as a volunteer here in the office. Lunch breaks and coffee breaks are always full of laughter and jokes, and the nickname Nuno gave me, Miss Mozzarella, made me laugh a lot, and I also like it a lot.
We welcomed new volunteers from Latvia, who have integrated perfectly, and we even created custom stickers to use during our whatsapp conversations.
Outside the office, I explored new places and discovered interesting facts about Portugal, such as the fact that J.K. Rowling was inspired by traditions from Portuguese universities for her Harry Potter saga. Although I am not a big Harry Potter fan, I find it fascinating to discover these connections.
I had the opportunity to visit places like Sintra, Coimbra, Porto and Nazaré, where I made friends with some friendly cats and stray dogs. The beauty and variety of Portugal leaves me breathless. I can immerse myself in culture, have fun, explore new places, relax by the river or on the beach, listen to good music and meet amazing people.
I feel really lucky to have this experience and to have friends and family who love me so much. Almost all of them have come to visit me, or plan to in the coming months. Or maybe they are coming for Lisbon and not really for me, but I prefer to think of it as for me!
Oh, and about my goal of learning to surf…. well, I won’t be able to do it because I found out that I am not really a champion in swimming without plugging my nose. So I will opt to watch others ride the waves, perhaps with an ice cream in hand. Just as well, right?
PS: Maybe I should consider a nickname like “The Inexperienced Surfer,” how about that?
