Chapter 01
At Home in the World
At Home in the World
I did not grow up in just one country.
I grew up between Portugal, Brazil and Germany, within a circle of affection and cultural references that also extended to Angola.
Around me, Portuguese crossed borders, taking on different rhythms, expressions and memories.
The language could be the same. The way of living and seeing the world never was exactly alike.
Travelling was nothing extraordinary. It was simply a way of staying close — and of understanding, from an early age, that we can belong to more than one place.
Seeing my grandmother meant boarding one plane.
Visiting an uncle often meant taking another.
Home was never a fixed place.
It was something spread across countries, languages and people.
Long before I studied tourism or worked in hospitality, I had already learned something far more valuable.
People rarely experience the world in exactly the same way.
Even when they speak the same language.
Looking back, I realise that growing up between cultures wasn't simply my childhood.
It became the foundation of everything I do.
Marginalia
Notes in the margin of a life lived between countries.
- GermanyN° 01N° 01
Structure creates freedom.
Clear communication allows people to trust one another.
- SwitzerlandN° 02N° 02
Precision is another form of respect.
Small details create confidence.
- FranceN° 03N° 03
Beauty shapes emotion.
Presentation is part of the experience.
- PortugalN° 04N° 04
Hospitality begins long before service.
People remember how they felt.
- BrazilN° 05N° 05
Joy connects people before words do.
- AngolaN° 06N° 06
Community is generosity in action.
People welcome people before places do.
- United StatesN° 07N° 07
Big ideas become possible when different worlds meet.
Diversity creates opportunity.
Together these places taught me that culture is not something we overcome. It is something we learn from.
Growing up between cultures taught me how people see the world. Creativity became my way of responding to it.
