Por que eu decidi morar nos EUA?

I decided to live in the USA for a while to improve my English pronunciation, have new experiences and get a job in a multinational company once I got back from the exchange program. Well, that was the initial goal.

I started studying English when I was a teenager and really wanted to spend my 15th birthday at Disney. But my grandmother was very protective and during the year of my trip she put up several obstacles. I was super frustrated at the time and then I forgot about Disney.

I continued studying English in different courses (Brasas and Wizard) and I had a dream of working in a multinational company to travel the world.

While I was studying Human Resources I started an internship at the British Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, where I needed to speak English most of the time. My English pronunciation was terrible because I only spoke while I was at the English course. So I felt the need to practice English with native speakers and the desire to have an international experience started when I realized that most of the Consulate employees talked about traveling around the world every week. I admired the stories that they used to tell and I thought that one day I would do the same. I would have a job where it would be easier for me to travel and have incredible experiences.

Raised by my grandmother, who came from a humble family and didn’t understand about international life; I had to research everything by myself. I found an exchange fair that was going to take place at the mall in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro. I was delighted with so many agencies and opportunities. I discovered a parallel world that I had no idea existed through the exchange before.

Entrei em contato com a agência IE que eu mais gostei para obter mais informações e as vantagens de cada país. Fiz questão de ler as recomendações de pessoas que utilizaram a agência e tiveram um feedback positivo.
Although I have seen opportunities in England, Australia, Canada and other European countries, I always wanted to visit the USA because of the movies. So I didn't think twice about choosing the exchange program here in the U.S.; I just hadn't defined what the state would be.

I knew that I wouldn't have my grandmother's financial support to achieve my dream because she didn't want me to travel abroad for fear and protection. So I didn't have the option of choosing an exchange program just to study English. I had to look for an exchange program that would give me the possibility to work to support myself while I was out of the country. I saved money for some time and applied for a loan to finalize the payment with the agency that helped with the entire visa process and made my life a lot easier. The agency also had a community on social networks and promoted events for students to exchange experiences. I made friends and ended up coming with a friend who is my BFF.

In 2008 I arrived in New York and went to work at a ski resort upstate NY as a Lift Operator. Mind you, I had never ridden a lift before, but they provided training.

My first trip outside the country, my first contact with the snow and the first time I had to speak with native speakers.

Looking back today, I am very proud of my decision. I was afraid, very afraid of leaving my grandmother and my friends in Brazil. But I needed to live an international experience and be independent.

Without a doubt, I don't regret my decision to live abroad. It was a very successful plan, where I made new friends, improved my English, paid bills, tried other foods, made decisions, met amazing people from different cultures, faced my biggest fears and grew emotionally.

I would do it all over again and I think that everyone who wants to live abroad should live this experience.