10th September 1992

Today is a very special day for me. A celebration day even. That is because 17 years ago, on the 10th of September 1992, me and 11 other Portuguese guys and girls, arrived at Manchester Airport to embark on a new experience and life. In fact it was a day that changed my life, even if I wasn't completely aware of how important that day was at the time.

The first group!

I came full of hopes and dreams, like many do when going to a foreign country. Funnily enough I wasn't scared, well I was a bit apprehensive, but I was more excited than anything else. You see, one of my biggest dreams when I was growing up was to go and study abroad and now I had the chance of doing it so.

As I grew older, I stopped dreaming about going abroad as circumstances changed in my life and my parents lives that I thought I would never be able to do it. But I never stopped focusing on it really. In a way I was using the law of attraction without even knowing that I was or what it was. Then it came the time to start applying for Universities back home.

I had excellent grades and did a good entry exam, the old PGA (Prova Geral de Accesso) which was a exam that all students had to do as part of their application process. Unfortunately for me despite all my results I failed to secure a place in my preferred Universities by 0.01%! I was devastated and really disappointed with myself and with the whole system as well.

So decided to re-do my 12th Grade (equivalent to A levels I suppose) and cracked on with trying to further improve my grades. Was a weird year if I'm honest, as I always felt like this was something I didn't want to do and that something was missing.

Then one day, whilst reading the Public (Portuguese Newspaper), my Mum came across an advert from Bolton Institute, saying that they were looking to interview EU Students with the purpose of offering them places to come to study at the Institute. At the time they were already striving to gain University status and to do that they had to have a certain quota of EU students.

I went to the British Embassy in Lisbon for the interview and ended up being offered a place. Then a couple months later I was in England. It is funny how the "failure" of securing a place in the University in Portugal ended up being a blessing in disguise! That actually proved to me that dreams do come true!!!

(Me and my 1st 3 Housemates - Marco, Luis & João)

And so it is 17 years later, after a lot of things happened in my life, both good and bad, although all beneficial to my development as a person, I am still in England, happy for being here and looking forward to the next 17 years of my life. Will I be living in England in 17 years time? Well I know where I am planning to be in the next 17 years and know that with hard work I will get there but for the time being those plans are, let's say, confidential...

One final thing...

When I was saying goodbye to my parents in Lisbon Airport, after hugging everyone, my Mum came to me, gave me a big hug and whispered in my ear "You are not coming back to Portugal, are you?", to which I said straight away I would come on holidays, "That is not what I mean and you know it" said her...

Well, I am off celebrating my special day...

Have a brilliant day!

Speak soon,

Paulo