Yes, I'm alive!

My sincere apologies! I knew it would take me long to post again after arriving in Australia... but it doesn't matter because here I am!

It's been over a week that the plane safely landed in Tullamarine(aka Melbourne Airport) and got me here in this amazing country. I arrived last wednesday, the 12th, around 8pm and 10pm at the Halls of Residence in Monash University, where I'm living now. I had an issue with my room and had to sleep in a temporary one for that night, but I solved it in no time the next morning.

Jetlag! I didn't know the meaning of this word until I felt it when I got here and the next few days. The trip lasted almost 2 days and the flights were really long! I flew from Rio to Sao Paulo, then from Sao Paulo to Abu Dhabi and, finally, from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne. Today I'm fine with the time difference and time itself, but during my first days here I completely lost track of it hahaha

So... "Yes!". That's the answer to the question I was asking myself before coming. "Is it gonna be like I expect? Just as awesome or what?" It's being great and I honestly believe this is gonna be the year of my life.

I know it's all new to me yet, but I'm loving it. As time passes by, I'm going to miss everything I've got back in Brasil... but I'm just trying to live day by day and enjoy it, because it is gonna fly by!

About photos and videos for now, I've been posting them on Facebook and Instagram, so I don't need to be posting here as well. As my first idea for this blog, I'm keeping it more as a record, especially with words which best represent what I'm felling at the moment.

Australia: great experiences so far, and a lot more yet to come!!

Finally off to Australia!

Aaaand it came. The day I was so excited about and have been waiting for these past months finally came...

I have mixed feelings about it. Anxious as fuck, but in all different ways! Ideas come in and out of my mind because I can't focus on writing something straight. I expected it and it's being just like I thought I would.

I don't have much more to say, but I just want to have everyone aware of how much I love the people who have been by my side this whole time and care about me. This incredible support has been like a strong initial push towards an amazing journey!

I am sorry for not being able to say goodbye to everyone I wanted to, but on the bright side, years are flying by and I believe 2014 will be no different...

To the new friends I am yet to make and an amazing time I'm about to have, the wait is over. AUSTRALIA, I'M COMING!


PS: This is gonna be the last post in Brasil and I don't know when I'll be able to sit down again to write a new one. I'll try to get myself a new notebook as soon as I can!

Despedidas

Sim, no plural. Assim me refiro àquelas coletivas, como as festinhas e comemorações com os melhores amigos e a família, mas também às individuais, com pessoas que eu encontro e que vai ser difícil ficar tanto tempo sem ver...

A uma semana de viajar pra Austrália, qualquer despedida pode ser um "Até 2015", apesar de ser falado um comum "tchau". Sabe-se lá se vou ver essa pessoa de novo antes da semana acabar, uma semana que eu tenho certeza que vai ser bem corrida!

Ainda em relação ao fator surpresa, fui "enganado" mais de uma vez nessas últimas despedidas. Eu nunca fui muito fã de surpresas, mas foram por uma boa causa e tudo no final foi muito legal... eu só tenho a agradecer a cada um que fez parte e dedicou um pouco do seu tempo pra preparar uma comemoração ou simplesmente compareceu e se divertiu comigo, que pra mim é o que mais importa.

Hoje eu tenho certeza que tenho pessoas que gostam de mim de verdade, e isso é recíproco. Quero que essas pessoas também saibam que vou sentir muita falta, mas com certeza logo logo vamos nos reencontrar! Estou pra realizar um sonho, e sei que todos estão comigo e sabem disso...

Algumas fotos dos encontros e despedidas dos últimos dias:

Com os amigos, parte 1

Uma versão doce minha

Com os amigos, parte 2

"No final só vocês mesmo... por isso que é o bonde haha"

Essas são só as primeiras, que não tenho palavras pra descrever, de tão épicas. Cada uma do seu jeito, com pessoas diferentes, mas todas especiais. Como disse Matheus, se for assim, eu poderia ir e voltar pra Austrália todo mês!

Changes in Da page

Hello, everyone!

Changes, changes, changes! Yeah, we've made some these past couple of days. I said "we" because I had a special help from my dear friend Lauro de Lacerda ;)

So, allow me to name some of these changes... most of them were made with the idea of adding simple, but interesting tools, and also thinking about getting some feedback from them people who read my blog. Yes, you! 

On the right, above my profile picture, there's a clock set to show both time and date of Melbourne, Australia (which is the city I'm going to) and Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ, Brasil (my hometown). Still on the right part, there's a "Worth a follow" section with links to blogs I find interest and recommend you to check out!

I have now enabled the option of allowing everyone to comment on the posts! Also on the comments, there's now the Facebook Like Button, so everyone can like the posts and show them on their facebook page.

And last, but not least: the top bar with quick links. Each link will re-direct you to another page. I'd like to call your attention to the Contact section. In this section, you can send me any comments, suggestions, ideas, criticism, etc. Those messages will go straight to my e-mail inbox! Please, be kind hahaha

Those are the changes for now. If there's any other big difference in design, layout or anything I find worth telling you, I will do that!

PS.: Today is Jan 10th. Which means Feb 10th is only 1 month away! :D

Goodbye, 2013

Finally, the last day of the year 2013 has come. The final chapter, or the final page, if you prefer.

I woke up late, and since the night before, I caught myself thinking about the time in advance that people are experiencing in Australia(not only there, I know), and because of that, the early celebration of the new year of 2014, compared to us here in Brasil. Of course it has already happened by now, and I keep picturing myself in situations like that. In advance. Ahead. From afar.

I'm not much of a facebook writer kind of guy, so since I have my blog, I can take the liberty to write and publish it somewhere my own. My own surroundings, my own zone. New Year's gets you thinking, doesn't it?!

Well, I've been at the beach relaxing these past couple of days. I never get too excited before it comes, but after actually being there, it always feels refreshing and you never wanna go back to "normal life". 

Here's a pic of when I started to write the post:

Taking it on the optimistic view, this past year was "fair". But it doesn't get much better than that, since the realistic view steps in and highlights the ups and downs I had. I'm happy to have accomplished new goals, but life always finds a way of balancing it with some sad shit. Truth is, in order to keep it together, focusing on the good side of the shit, no matter how awful it is, is the way to go. So let's keep going!

So many expectations for this new year... even though I know it is gonna be awesome (much more than 2013 was), I'm not gonna keep my hopes up too high. I'm already seeing some buddies go and it makes me even more anxious.

That's is! Let 2013 go and 2014 come. And bring it on! Life, here I come. Australia, here I COOOME!!

And still from Brasil...

PS: This post took me the longest to write so far. Started after lunch and just finished it. House full of people, hard to get some time out alone, right?

Holidays mean... recess!

And I'm back! For some of those who follow my posts, sorry for these days away from here. I had to leave the blog aside for a while because every single student on this planet knows how crazy things get this time of the year, when finals come!

Let's see if I can get this straight: I'm travelling on the 10th of February and it is due around 2 or 3 weeks past half of the semester. Yes, the calendar here is crazy. So, what does it mean for me? It means I have to run against time to successfully finish the units I'm currently coursing at my home university before the semester ends and before everyone else(except for those in the same situation). The first part is gone, and when I come back to school next year, I will only have those 2 weeks to turn in projects and take final exams. Just easy, right?

Since this time of the year we have holidays and celebration of Christmas and New Year's, I'm on recess! What I was used to call "vacation", now I have to make do with "recess". I'm glad anyways haha

I will try to enjoy the most of these upcoming 2 weeks celebrating and relaxing! And posting! I also have to remember that this will be the last free time I will get to straighten some last things out before travelling... but we'll be in touch haha ;)

Sobre tempo perdido

Hoje mesmo eu estava passando por meu news feed no Facebook e me deparei com um compartilhamento de uma postagem em um blog. O assunto me chamou atenção: o famoso papo do tempo "perdido". Esse termo é bem interessante de ser usado!

Esse é um ponto que, pelo menos pra mim, gera uma boa discussão e debate em relação aos prós e contras de passar um ano fora do seu país, pra quem está aparentemente encaminhado nos estudos e com foco real em um objetivo que pode vir em não muito tempo. O fato de ter que, muito provavelmente, adiar esse achievement é o fim do mundo para alguns.

Já vi muita gente se agarrando no fato de ter que adiar sua formatura na faculdade e, por isso, não aplicar pro programa Ciência sem Fronteiras. Eu vejo muito mais prós nisso tudo do que contras, mas isso vai de cada um. Poderia citar milhares de motivos gerais, como é pra todo mundo que está indo ou querendo ir pra fora agora, quanto motivos pessoais, mas vamos deixar pra depois...

O post que comentei no início é esse daqui, no blog de uma menina que está na Croácia. Vale a pena ler!