Ana Elisa Miranda's Blog

On February 1st 2009, I moved abroad for the very first time. I had never been outside Brazil, never very far from home. Gosh, I had never been on a plane! And there I was, on my own, off to change my life forever.

I lived in the USA for a year and a half. Went back to Brazil. Lived in Belgium for a year. Went back to Brazil. Came back to Belgium and here I am today.

Back in 2009 I couldn’t have imagined what I would go through, where I would end up and who I would become. Here is what I w...

Source - https://pixabay.com/ If you have been following the blog for a while you might know that I’ve been living in Belgium for over four years.

It took more than a year until I had my resident permit. Then I attended their social integration program. I had my Brazilian diploma recognized. I went to several meetings at the VDAB and information sessions about courses and jobs. Until I finally started to settle down. Until I finally found a job in my field.

All the while, I studied Dutch....

If this trip was a sample of what this year will be like, I’m happy. It was easy, we got more than we bargained for and had great weather and beautiful scenery.

We had been worried about driving there, since we don’t have winter tires, but the weather couldn’t have been nicer (for winter, anyway). The drive was smooth and we made a stop in Cologne.

I’m glad I can finally say I’ve been to Cologne. The cathedral is impressive and the Christmas market was super cosy. However, I don’t think it live...

One week before the Fall Holidays we were slightly decided to drive to The Hague and have an easy week. But then we saw a ferry + hotel deal on Travelbird that featured the Downton Abbey castle and were instantly sold. So that’s how we made our way to England for the second time this year.

We visited Windsor on our way to the hotel and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that it wasn’t more royal. The castle is there, smack in the middle of town, surrounded by gift shops and Asian rest...

I bike to most places in town

You wouldn’t hear me say that three years ago. I wasn’t used to it and I honestly disliked cycling. Arriving tired and sweaty at work or a friend’s house felt ridiculous. However, I had to understand what thousands of other Ghent residents had: it’s faster than walking, cheaper than public transport and simpler than driving. It’s even a good way to stay fit and, I must admit, it’s pleasant.

I check the weather forecast every day

Gone are the days when I could...

1. Terraces

“Look, the sun is shining! We must have a drink outside!” In Flanders they call it “een terrasje doen” when they go to a bar and sit outside. We must eat outside too. Study, work, read a book or simply sit under the gorgeous sun.

2. White wine 3.Barbecues

Back home we used to barbecue whenever we felt like it, usually on Sundays. Since I moved here I learned to associate (and appreciate) barbecues to sunny and warm days. It’s just so nice to be outside, drinking a cold beer and...

To me one of the best things of travel is doing things I’ve never done before. We came across a deal on TravelBird that included ferry tickets and hotel accommodations and jumped right in! It was one of the best holidays we’ve had– the farms were vast and neat, the food was delicious (we tried fish and chips by the sea, steak and ale pie at a local pub, English breakfast at the hotel, cottage pie, Sunday roast, scones at the local tea room and of course we had lots of tea!) and the people wer...

1.Experiences are more important than things. I’d choose a trip over a new cell phone without even blinking. Or a ticket to a show over new clothes. Unless I really need them, like new winter shoes, things can always wait.

2. I am not the center of the universe. I think of how many people exist, have existed before me and will exist after I’m gone, and my worries and fears seem completely insignificant. Not in a depressing, discouraging way but in a liberating and calming one.

3. Maintain...

My parents.My brother.My sister.My close family.My hometown, Francisco Sá.My grandma’s house, so vividly present in my memory.Robrecht.The Dierck family.The New Jersey life.My American host family.My journals.My book of essays and short stories, Qualquer Dia Desses.My first English teacher, who inspired 14-year-old me with stories of living abroad.My University, all I learned and all the friends I made there.My first job as a teacher. Someone believed in a 19-year-old, inexperienced colleg...

Babi Lopes is a 26-year-old interpreter/travel agent from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. She lives in London and writes at Uai Babi, her personal blog. You can also follow her on Facebook. Babi, please tell us about who you are and where you are from.

I’m a 26-year-old travel agent/interpreter from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. I came to London for the first time in 2005 – where after a little coming and going – I have been living ever since.

What motivated you to live abroad?

Back in 2005...