Lucas de Britto

Hi, I'm a Brazillian guy called Lucas, I came from Brazil about 2 and a half months ago, and since then, I have been living in New Plymouth.

In the beginning of my programme I was full of expectations. I wanted to have the world in my hands and I never imagined my exchange the way it's happened. Everything is really different than I thought it would be. In the first weeks I was really happy and trying to do something new everyday. However, exchange is real life and the things just started to get normal, as if your life had always been here. That was when I felt homesick. I remembered my old life, and friends, and school, my parents. Now I'm just happy here, because I know everything is temporary, so I just want to enjoy everything before it is over.

New Plymouth is a small, but really good town to live. It is easy to walk here, and the city is really clean and has beautiful walkways and parks. As a Brazillian, I really missed some parties and night life in the beginning of my programme, but I really got used to it. Now, what I can say is that," I'm loving it." New Plymouth has beautiful beaches and good surf breaks. Also, it has a stunning view of Mount Taranaki. That make this small town look impressive. I just can't stop looking at it.

One of the reasons I came to New Plymouth, was because of the school. I always thought Spotswood College would be a cool choice, and I wasn't wrong. Spotswood is a nice school, with really good teachers and people always there to help you. The school is big and has lots of places to do sports and talk with the kiwis at intervals and lunch. The subjects are really different from Brazilian ones and I can study things that I'm really interested in here.

The best thing I did here in New Zealand, and I think as an international student you always have to do, was travelling around the country. In two months, I've already been to Auckland, Wellington and small cities around New Plymouth. Next month I'm going to the South Island, and for sure I will have great fun there.

New Zealand is a beautiful country with nice people always kind to you. I really like being here, and I will use my time to enjoy my exchange. If you come here, don't forget to enjoy yourself!