São Paulo metropolitan area, Brazil, 90's.

I was about 8 years old and had a living room full of long-play records. I also had an EN-PT bilingual dictionary and a genuine will to understand the words I heard. That's when it started. 

While my parents were in serious doubt whether that Tears for Fears record would keep whole in my hands, I learnt by myself the phonetics of that then strange language and, by translating lyrics, I was able to grasp its mechanisms. I never stopped learning, even though I've never studied in English language schools.

I always had a flair for writing and strongly believe that mastering your native language is key to bridge to other languages. And I did so. In a time when only Maths and Physics gained prestige in high-level national competitions, I was happy to come home with a gold medal in a Portuguese Language contest.

When I reached university, learning languages was both a natural and obligatory thing: as a History student, I had to accomplish a basic level in French and would finally have the chance to learn Italian. Four hours a week each, for over two years. To me, a sort of paradise. 

Years later, I was living a hectic life in São Paulo working in an advertising agency and longing for a change. Actually, an EXchange - in Ireland. So in 2019 I moved to Dublin to become a student again and ended up working in the number 1 tourist attraction in the emerald island, the Guinness Storehouse. Among many things I've learnt there, listening to all sorts of accents and practising my language skills gave me the confidence I needed to speak fluently.

My visa was to expire and I still had another dream to realize: the Italian citizenship. I moved to Italy, just beside one of the most important universities for foreigners in the country. I took the chance to enrol in the advanced level and soaked myself in the Italian language and culture. Brilliant months not only on grammar, phonetics and EN-IT translation but also on cinema, literature and history of this so cherished country.

The Covid-19 pandemic extended my stay and, between ups and downs, I found an enjoyable, challenging and helpful way to spend quarantine: being a TED Talks volunteer translator.

Now I am back to Ireland looking for opportunities to start a career in the translation/localization industry. I've been doing research, online courses, talking to specialists and sometimes feel insecure due to my lack of working experience in the area. Well... looking back at my story, I'd say I might not have a solid, straightforward path, but I do have quite a collection of meaningful life experiences and abounding passion. And the greatest thing is that it was always there, I just had to listen a bit more - this time, to my inner voice.