Since I was young, I always wanted to travel around the world, but I didn’t have any idea of how would I make it happen – or even if it was possible. The idea of having experiences, getting to know a variety of cultures and distinct languages, enthralled me for a long time.

The calling came one day when, after spending continuous 17 hours working, sitting in an office in front of a laptop, I checked my bank balance and it was negative. “Wait. What? For fox sake! Au Revoir, Brazil!”

Okay, a decision made, now what? I set up a date and started to avoid all unnecessary purchases and expenses. I downgraded my cell phone plan, cut off Uber, readjusted my finances, and started doing extra jobs on weekends!

In the end, I put on sale all the belongings that would no longer suit me, and I boarded the flight. I took the fear, the butterflies in my stomach, put in the bag, and went on this journey!
It is funny (or tragic) when we leave our comfort zone, and see yourself in a totally different place (and by different, I mean everything!). The survival mode is activated and we just make it happen – in one way or another.

Currently, it’s been almost a year and a half I’m in Ireland, yet I still haven’t got 100% used to the cold, the food, nor even the rainy weather. But I’m loving this new life – and lifestyle –, I’m making new friends, improving my English, planning my next trips, and developing new skills.

However, be aware, homesickness is an old friend, always present. I miss my mother’s lap, my mother’s food, my cats and my friends, my tropical country (blessed by God and beautiful by nature ♫), and… oh gosh, my Brazilian food… Don’t even mention it!

What nobody told me, and I’ll tell you now is about the change that happens to us when we are outside the “cozy & safe comfort zone”.

Today’s Monique is totally different from Monique from a year ago (I didn’t even know how to cook the rice!). And this is incredible, because life is very short, and reincarnation is not a certainty. So the best thing to do is to enjoy every second because we never know if we will wake up the next day.

Note: This text was written by Monique Santomauro. Monique is a learner from our school who is currently living in Ireland, she has accepted the invitation to share some of her stories her to inspire other people and also to practice some more writing