O Testemunho do Nord

Hello, my name is Nord. I’m 19 years old and I come from Spain. I’ve been living in Lisbon for around two months now, and looking back at this short period, it already feels like a much longer and deeper experience than I expected. It has been intense in every sense: emotionally, socially, and personally. 

This is not an easy experience. It requires constant adaptation, effort, and patience with yourself. There are days when everything feels new and overwhelming, when simple things become a challenge. But at the same time, I feel a very strong inner motivation that pushes me forward. I would say the effort is big, but the motivation is even bigger.

I truly see this as a unique opportunity in life. I don’t think experiences like this come often, and I believe it’s something that everyone should consider doing at least once. It takes you out of your comfort zone in a very real way, and it forces you to grow without planning it. You don’t just learn things here—you change your perspective.

During these two months, I’ve been discovering many new places around the city and beyond, and each one has its own atmosphere and story. Lisbon itself is full of life, light, and contrast, and I often find myself just observing everything around me, trying to absorb it all. At the same time, I’ve met people from different countries, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, and that mix of personalities has been one of the most enriching parts of this journey.

Little by little, I feel like I’m rediscovering myself as a person. I’m learning what I like, how I react in new environments, and how I adapt to situations I’ve never experienced before. There is something very powerful about starting almost from zero in a new place, where nothing is fully familiar and everything has to be built step by step.

One of the things I enjoy the most is learning a new language and being surrounded by a different culture. It opens your mind in ways that are hard to explain. Even everyday things become interesting when you are fully immersed in another country. New ideas, new habits, new ways of seeing life… everything feels like it adds something to you.

I also find a lot of value in the small moments: conversations, shared experiences, unexpected encounters, and simple daily routines that slowly become part of your life here. All of this is shaping my experience in a way that feels very real and meaningful.

I know this is just the beginning of my time here, but I already feel very grateful for it. It is challenging, yes, but it is also one of the most rewarding things I have ever done, and I’m excited to keep discovering what comes next.

                                         

O Testemunho da Alice

‘I find myself writing this final reflection in my last month here. These nine months have flown by: it feels like just yesterday that I arrived in Lisbon, and at the same time, I feel like I have lived every moment to the fullest. It has been an intense, full of life.

This experience has enriched me in every way, both professionally and personally. I know that leaving this place—especially the school where I worked—will be very difficult. I have contributed, even in a small way, to the growth of these children, and for almost a year I have been part of a team of educators who welcomed me with open arms from the very beginning.

I will deeply miss the life I have built here, a life that, in some way, has become home.

I remember the first week: it was very challenging. I was afraid of not being up to the project, of not finding people who were like me. And yet, shortly after, everything became so simple and natural.

I had the opportunity to visit much of Portugal, a country that never stops surprising you. I had the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture and I’ll be taking home a bit more knowledge of Portuguese (even if I can’t say I’ve fully learned it 😊). I lived in a city I found truly beautiful. Lisbon has so much to offer, and it’s special to experience it not just as a tourist, but to really live it—gradually making once unfamiliar places feel like your own.

I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I feel that I have gained a wealth of experience that only traveling can give. But above all, it is the people you meet who make these experiences truly special—their impact is something that often leaves you speechless.’