Like all good things, my time in Lisbon must come to an end, however, I’m not ready to say goodbye. I think through having an internship, I was able to integrate into the “daily Portuguese life” making finally leaving feel like I am leaving home. Now in Campo Pequeno, where my residence was, I’m a regular at a coffee shop and a restaurant. I know my way around Campo Pequeno and the surrounding areas without maps or assistance. I know the metro lines, where they connect, and which line is the best (spoiler alert it’s the yellow line). Because of all of these things, Lisbon isn’t just the place where I studied abroad, but rather a second home that I have grown incredibly used to. Additionally, my internship allowed me to create a “family” here with my coworkers which makes leaving even harder.
As stated in my last post, community culture is very different here, with people actively engaging in community creation and building leading to these almost “family like” structures in places you may not think you would find them. This leads to you growing closer with those you spend time with in the office, or in my case, the lab. Operating like a family, we eat lunch together even if that means waiting an hour or two for everyone to finish their work, we support one another on our projects even if it means that we have to stay a little later than planned, and we help each other outside of our jobs because the bonds you form in the workplace don’t just disappear when you leave the building.
This experience has not only helped me grow as a scientist and a student, but also as a person. Through conversations, observations, and “leaps of faith” I was able to come out of my comfort zone and I am all the richer for it. I now feel that I have the confidence to continue to work towards my academic and career goals with the knowledge that there are people far away cheering me on and willing to support me. Additionally, the skills that I have gained in cross cultural communication, and scientific exploration will be invaluable to me as I continue my journey. Most importantly though I have a newfound appreciation and respect for the little “moments”.
While I always feel the need to rush, stress, and get things done, my time in Portugal has taught me that things will get done, you will accomplish what you need to, but there is no point in burning yourself out in an attempt to get there. If you are meant to get to where you want to be, you can and will get there. This doesn’t mean you don’t have to work hard or put in long hours and big efforts, but rather that between these things remember to take the few moments to look up, appreciate where you are, who you are with, and just life in general