From São Paulo to Lausanne - a lifetime experience

- Patricia de Alcantara Avellar Portnoi

A year ago when my husband, Bruno, was accepted to IMD, I was terrified about moving to Switzerland. I didn’t want to quit my job and have no idea what my options in Lausanne were. Anyway, I came in January to help him settle down and explore the place a little bit.

Surprisingly, I liked it very much. I realised that I was tired of traffic jams, rush hours, noise, and crazy deadlines at work. Lausanne is so quiet, that I could sleep so well, better than ever before. I really like the IMD atmosphere, meeting all the partners and participating in the activities organised by IMD. I went back to Brazil for a while, and decided to come back to Lausanne as soon as possible.

I returned in late March and in the beginning of April, I became pregnant. I couldn’t believe that I became pregnant so fast. I was planning to have a baby, but thought it would take some time to happen. Going to the doctor and seeing the baby’s little heart beating through the ultrasound was one of the most exciting moments in my life. The pregnancy brought a lot of happiness but also nausea, uncontrollable desire to sleep and a lot of changes in my eating habits. And now, also a really big belly!!!

I would like to work in Lausanne, but I had no idea how to get a job. When Marcella sent an e-mail with a job opportunity, I applied and started to work in late May. It was really good to be busy while my husband was spending days and nights at IMD. I had the chance to meet different people and travel to Prague to work.

Travelling was also a great experience while living in Switzerland. Living in the centre of Europe offered me the possibility to know amazing places and lots of different countries.

And last but not least, I enjoyed meeting partners from all over the world, discovering different cultures and developing deep friendships.

Now, with only 40 days to graduation day, I look back and see that I had an unforgettable year and a lifetime experience. I hope everyone had as much fun as I had.

Warmly

Patricia