It was Brazilian Portuguese, my native language.

From the moment I learned to read and write, I got totally hooked on my Portuguese classes and homework.

I can clearly remember spending hours sitting in any corner of my house, completely absorbed in books or jotting down my thoughts on everything I experienced.

One day, my mom got called to school by my Portuguese teacher, who said,

“Mom, I’d like to ask that no adult do Aline’s homework for her.”

My mom was totally surprised and said,

“But no one helps her. She does all of it by herself.”

The teacher insisted,

“But the answers don’t sound like they’re coming from a kid.”

Their chat ended without any clear outcome; neither the teacher believed my mother, nor did my mother deny the truth.

Back then, I didn’t realize how something so simple could boost my skills so fast.

It wasn’t until college, when I studied Portuguese and English Linguistics, that I understood how vital language is for our mental, emotional, and cultural growth.

In college, I learned to use both languages to better understand myself, articulate my ideas, and connect with the world in a deeper, more creative way:

• I studied a bit of Latin, the root of my language and many others.

• I reread the books by Machado de Assis, the greatest Brazilian novelist of all time and one of the founders of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

• And I also discovered Shakespeare, which I had to read in his fancy old English (at least I tried, lol).
  
  

What started as a childhood passion eventually turned into my career.

For the past 14 years I’ve been working as an English-Portuguese translator and since last year I’ve been weekly writing on Soul & Suitcase about all the meaningful things I come across, just like that curious little girl I used to be.

Because It’s her dreams and wonders that guide me to my place in the world and points out what is worth doing for myself and others.