I came to the Netherlands to live with my husband after a seven-year distance relationship. Living in the Netherlands for almost two years has changed many things in my life. I came here with many expectations but also with fear of the unknown. In the beginning, everything felt new and exciting: the language, the weather, the people, the habits. But with time, I understood that starting over in another country is not only about learning a new way of living, but also about learning how to live far from everything I knew.
I miss Brazil in many ways. I miss my family, my friends, the conversations that only we understand, the warm way that Brazilians live. I found out I even miss things I never thought I would miss. We have a beautiful expression that is well known in Brazil that says: “The birds that sing here do not sing as they do there.” And this has a deeper meaning when you actually live far away. Everything here works, everything is beautiful, everything has value, but nothing replaces the place that shaped who I am.
Starting again in a new country is a daily challenge. There are moments when I feel strong and proud of everything I am building here, and others when the homesickness is so strong that it feels like something is missing.
Even far away, Brazil is still my home. It is not only the place where I was born, but the place where my heart learned to beat the way it does. I am here, living this new story, but I carry with me every memory, every person, and every part of my culture that follows me wherever I go.