From Brazil To California: Learning English Abroad

Hi, my name is Gabriel! I’m 28 years old and I’m from Brazil. I have been at CEL Pacific Beach since January 2023 studying English and working as an on-campus worker for the Student Services Department. My main responsibilities are to help with the daily school routine between teachers and students, help with grades & attendance documents, prepare new students’ documents, greet & assist new students and more.

This experience has been great, not just because I can practice English in a work environment, but also because I am able to gain experience in an American company with a different dynamic and culture. Since I have my own company in Brazil, I’m sure I will take advantage of having this opportunity.

The 3 main reasons I chose San Diego are the weather, the size of the city, and because it is located in California.  In my opinion, San Diego is perfect in size. It’s a big city but not big like New York, not too busy but it offers everything that I need, and with a more laid back atmosphere. I also always dreamed of going to California, and here I am. My initial plan was to stay here for six months, but I’m already thinking about extending my stay. I haven’t had time to travel yet, but San Diego already has my favorite spots - I love spending the day at Balboa Park, having breakfast at the Republic Breakfast restaurant, and eating Mexican food at the Craft Taco Truck. But my favorite thing to do is watch the sunset while sitting at the beach - for sure, the sunset here is one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.

It’s interesting to think about, because when I was planning my trip to the US, I didn’t have a lot of expectations. To be honest with you, I was really worried that I wouldn’t adapt to life here and would want to go back to Brazil. However, San Diego and CEL positively surprised me, and I can’t explain how much I love living in San Diego and having this opportunity at CEL. I can’t wait to see more and have more experiences here.