Dear Future Me,
I hope you read this if you ever need comfort. Everything feels overwhelming at times, yet strangely comfortable in ways I never expected. Anyways, you’ll soon be in Porto for your Year Abroad, and I don’t just want you to remember this moment…I want you to compare it.
Because this isn’t just about studying abroad.
It’s about experiencing a different way of living, seeing the world through a new lens, and understanding what sustainability really means beyond ‘ticking a box for ESG’.
Right now, you’re someone who is trying to build better habits, become more aware of your choices, and live more intentionally. You’ve already started making small changes: using a reusable water bottle consistently, cooking more instead of relying on convenience, and becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of your daily decisions. Living in London, public transport has shown you how sustainability can be embedded into everyday routines.
I hope you arrive with an open mind.
I hope you pay attention to how people live and interact with their environment. I hope you notice the differences between London and Porto…not to decide which is better, but to understand how culture influences the choices people make and how sustainability can look different depending on where you are in the world.
Sustainability isn’t only about reducing emissions or recycling more effectively. It’s about creating systems, communities, and lifestyles that can endure. It’s about balance.
Hopefully, this experience will teach you that sustainability applies to people as much as it applies to the environment.
In the past, you’ve learned that growth isn’t always straightforward. Being diagnosed with dyslexia helped explain challenges you’d faced throughout your education. It made you realise that everyone experiences the world differently and that success isn’t about following the same path as everyone else.
There will be so many opportunities to learn life lessons.
One of the most valuable aspects of studying abroad is learning how to connect with people whose experiences differ from your own. Sustainability is often discussed as a global challenge, but global challenges require global understanding.
I hope you embrace those opportunities.
I hope you become more confident in sharing your ideas, more comfortable meeting new people, and more accepting of yourself. Not because those things are the purpose of your year abroad, but because they are natural outcomes of immersing yourself in a new environment and allowing yourself to finally grow.
Most importantly, I hope you remember that sustainability is not something separate from daily life.
It’s found in the choices you make, the habits you build, and in the way you care for your health, your wellbeing and community. A truly sustainable future requires those five things.
So…
Go to Porto with intention.
And remember that some of the most important lessons won’t be found at school.
I love you,
The version of you who is ready to see more of the world
