Giovanna is from Avaré, Brazil. She has been with us for 20 weeks, and we still can’t quite believe her time here at ELC has come to an end! She will be missed, as this week is her last here at ELC. You can often find Giovanna sweet-talking some friends into going to the beach with her, exploring Santa Barbara, and road-tripping across the United States! The staff here at ELC will miss her positive energy, as well as the many wonderful stories she would tell us each week! Read on to learn more about the Giovanna!
No, but it’s my first time studying abroad. I have travelled to Florida before.
I think I’ve learned more than I thought I would here, and not just about the language. Santa Barbara surprised me because of how friendly the people are, as well as how open-minded and receptive to other cultures. The city wants the students to feel like they are home, no matter how many miles away they really are. I thought I would feel more culture shock. However, I did notice that I had to change my behavior, because people would think I was hitting on them instead of being friendly, since Brazilians love to be close to and touch people.
I miss the people and my family. I miss being an adult and being able to have more independence, because of my age. That is where I felt the most culture shock.
I like to hang out with friends, especially here in Santa Barbara. I especially enjoy going to the beach. I like to be a little more quiet here than in Brazil. Santa Barbara brings you peace, where you just want to relax. I have learned how to enjoy myself more here in Santa Barbara with the time of reflection I have had.
I like to sing, wakeboard, dance, sunbathe and tan, which is why Santa Barbara is perfect! You will find a way to do all of those things!
The sooner you start, the better, because when you’re young, you are susceptible to receiving the information better and retaining it. It’s not as easy as people think. For adults who want to learn, the most important thing is to travel to get in touch with the language and native speakers, and how their body language is different than that of other cultures. It’s so much better to learn from the cultural aspect.
My favorite place in Santa Barbara is West Beach, because it’s one of the places I’ve been to the most. I can remember each student, because every student I made friends with would go with me to the beach. It’s a place where I can stop and think about my experiences here since the beginning of my studies.
Some of my favorite moments are with Michael Steady. He was one of the most remarkable teachers I have had in my life, because he taught us how to be more human and tried to help us to think outside of the box of what the world is telling us. I also loved Halloween here! I think it was one of the most entertaining and constructive events because we got to come together as a class, and the costume contest was so fun!
For now I will travel through California. Eventually, I will set my self up for the future. Since I have come to Santa Barbara, I have had a goal to figure out what to do with my life. I really like Public Relations, so I might come back to the US to study or maybe I will stay in Brazil and go to university there. I have to wait until after the holidays to see clearly and figure out my life plan.
