How languages changed my life:
My name is Juliana and I was born in Brazil.
At a very early age, my family moved to Portugal, the place I will always call home! There, I had the chance of learning English and French. More than learning these languages, I got introduced to their cultures, their costumes and their people.
From that moment on I knew there was more out there and I couldn’t wait to go and grab it!
I’ve had the privilege of experience more than one culture when growing up. In a Brazilian family, with nothing but Portuguese friends, I sometimes acted as a bridge and, even though language was no barrier, to immerse myself so intensely in a different culture can, sometimes be challenging.
A new life in the North East
Challenging, but addictive! So addictive that, at the age of 23, when I felt that I needed a change I decided to take another adventure and move to the NE of England. And that, was the single best adventure of my life. In Sunderland I made lifelong friendships, exchanged ideas, and broke norms. I became more of what I wanted, and less of what I was expected. My horizons opened up. In a single year I knew the world. Not because I’ve been all over, but because I met people from all over.
Today, I have friends from Greece, Arabia, Check Republic, Slovakia, Poland and so many other places. I met their cuisines and their costumes. I had laughs and made memories.
Today I dream bigger. I dream of meeting their homes, experience more cultures and live life to its true limit – limitless!
But to know a language allows you more than learn other from cultures and communities, it allows you to give back to them! During my BA in Sunderland, I supported our elderly community. I engaged with revolutionary therapies, and supported those who cared for us, by caring for them.
For those who are reading this today, this is my advice: learn a language, travel somewhere else, be a global citizen! The only limit is yourself!
Juliana Nunes-Abreu
