Olá! I'm Luana from Brasília, the capital of Brazil. I hope to be an environmental engineering major, but, surprisingly, my favorite class right now is Humanities 1. You can find me studying in the Tower Room or at AQ, our Catholic Student Center. One year ago I was looking through this blog hoping to get to know Dartmouth. Now, I get to tell you why I love this place so much while I learn what it means to be a Dartmouth student. Consider this an invitation to accompany me.
Welcome to the Woods! I traveled 7062 km (4388 mi) to be here. My name is Luana Neves. I'm a Brazilian girl, born and raised in the capital, Brasília (no, it's not Rio.) I left concrete jungles and lifelong friends to venture out into the hills of Hanover, and it's the best decision I have ever made.
Coming from a weather that varies from hot to hotter, these Woods were like a different planet. Now, instead of playing beach volleyball on the weekend, I go skiing; most of the time, I've got a hot caramel cappuccino in hand; I'm rarely tan; I go to Sunday Masses with three layers of clothing on; and instead of skipping out on the gym because I'm lazy, I blame the cold.
So far, my favorite class this term is Humanities 1, a writing course focused on the classics. This is shocking, considering I plan to be an engineering major. It just goes to show how far my range of interests can reach. From cognitive science to classical literature to environmental engineering, I have gotten to scratch my curiosity itch here at Dartmouth.
When I'm not studying, you'll find me on game nights with friends, reading books from all genres, watching a Christopher Nolan movie, listening to Taylor Swift, or at Aquinas—our Catholic student center.
Between academics, social life, and weather struggles, I look forward to sharing this journey with you. As daunting as the changes I've already faced seemed, they opened my eyes to a whole new meaning of home. I expect the next four years to be filled with exciting challenges that will push me to embrace even more pieces of the College on the Hill. Consider this an invitation to accompany me.
My friends and I on a birthday picnic on The Green.
A statement I never thought I would make. Being completely honest, during my first term I was counting down the days to go back to Arizona. However, being away from Dartmouth made me realize how lucky I am to be here.
