How to get lost and find yourself in Newcastle: adventures of a Brazilian in Newcastle!

There is much to say about my experience in Newcastle, where should I start from? The school that received me with a warm welcome? The host family that was everything I could ask for and more? The city I fell in love with? My daily trips to Waterstones to indulge me to a book and a hot chocolate? Well … I shall start from the beginning.

It was a cold December day when I arrived at IH Newcastle. At the reception, some lovely members of staff instructed me to go to the student room – a place filled with tables and comfy sofas – where a teacher would be going in a little while to assess my English level. Needless to say how nervous I felt at that point.

However, I soon discovered that there was nothing to worry about. If you ever did – or know someone who did an exchange program, you’ll understand that the school is the place you spend most of your time and their main goal is to provide you with a safe and homey environment where you can learn without being afraid of making mistakes.

That first day was a vortex of emotions for me, not just because I was nervous, but because it was the beginning of a new chapter for me, one I would write by myself, without family or close friends near me. I was slight sad and afraid but excited about it.

Every week at IH Newcastle there is a plethora of different events for the students to engage in – the famous Social programme! One of the most exciting parts is the welcome party, a gathering of sorts that happens every Monday, always in a different pub, to welcome the new students – they became my weekly ritual.

I soon made friends with my classmates and people who were in different classes, each of them brought something new into the table, and each of them taught me a little bit about their country, their culture and their language. These are friendships I cherish till this day, nothing gives me more joy that to say “I have friends all around the world!”

We are all here for a different period of time and some of us leave before other, some of us stay a bit longer … time can be cruel in those situations. I remember how sad I felt when two of my closest friends (Lea and Emily) left Newcastle to go back to their home in Switzerland, however, after a few WhatsApp messages and some digging at Sky scanner me and two dear and close friends of mine (Jurema and Jin)  had tickets booked to spend a weekend in Geneva with them!

Every minute I spent at the school was valuable, every Social activity that I – alongside my friends – did created a memory than will last my whole life. At the end of my time in Newcastle I had a better grasp of the English language, I had made dear friends and I had grown up as a person,

For that I can only say thank you.

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