"It's a great place to raise children, because it's safe.

It's an easy place to live in. I love the freedom here."

We’re kicking the year off with our first “From the Horse’s Mouth” episode for the year. I chat with a very good friend of mine, Gizelle, who has already been living in Australia for a very long time.

Gizelle’s pathway to Aus opened up for her at the mere age of 21, when she moved all the way from Brazil, on her own. She settled in at Bondi Beach on a Student Visa to study English (which I’m sure is every student’s dream destination).

Gizelle shares with us the opportunities that arose for her, which have enabled her to eventually become an Aussie citizen. She's now a mother to her 8-year-old son, and they often venture back to Brazil to visit her extended family who still all live there.

Being Portuguese brings about a few challenges when raising a bi-lingual child in a mostly English-speaking country – and is something many bi-lingual migrants may face, moving to Aus from different parts of the world. Maintaining your own identity through the whole migration process is something to hold on to.

Tune in to hear how Gizelle overcomes her barriers, find out more about why Aus is so appealing (and how it compares to Brazil), and why coming over on a Student Visa is so feasible.