Between 33 and 35 years old - the fresh start - part I

When I finished my PhD, I had fulfilled a goal that I had never imagined in my life. I never imagined myself, in my early days at the academy, that I would make it this far. The most interesting thing about this process of professional growth was that paths were opening up for me, like flowers in a garden, each one with a specific aroma and perfume and with a different smell. Throughout my walk, I always won through effort and determination. I cannot fail to thank each friend, colleague, teacher, advisor, secretary, because without them I would not get anywhere. From each one, with their own teachings, I absolved important teachings, but the most important of them, in my opinion, is humility.

Sometimes life teaches us in every unexpected way, playing a trick to remind us where we came from. I finished my PhD and returned to my homeland. I was away for several years and no one remembered who I was. Like any beginner, but with a PhD, I started looking for a way to fulfill a vocation I didn't know I had: teaching. Initially, I got a placement as a consultant at an environmental agency working with environmental licensing for urban infrastructure.

During this period, I learned a lot and found a very dear friend, who today I call sister, in this same job. During the time I spent there, I got to know a little of what happens in the public service and how the lack of investment in supervision and policy is harmful to people's well-being, especially when we talk about the environmental issue. We worked together for a year and then we left. In the meantime, I forwarded my curriculum to many Universities/Faculties, aiming to teach in my area. I was selected by a University to work in a technical course on the environment. Between earning a very low salary and working to stand out and open doors. Those were difficult days for me, because I knew I had potential, but I hadn't had opportunities yet.

For almost a year, I worked to increase my income and knowledge. I was even honored professor, which was an honor for me. Towards the end of that year, I was called to a contest at a famous college, at the time, to teach. To my surprise, the Dean of this college was my undergraduate professor. The moment I saw him at the newsstand, I was worried because I would be teaching one of my idols... one of the best teachers I've ever had. I believe I did well, as I was hired to start teaching the following year. And the restart of my career was just beginning. We lived with difficulty, since I still earned little and we depended on my wife's income.

When I was called to teach, I was taken by surprise... I was scheduled to teach an ongoing subject that was not part of my training, since my area would start in a year and a half. The dean told me I could handle it and I accepted the challenge... it was a school period that I almost lost track of... I had to study a lot, seek direct application of the subject to the students, get used to the pace of work... anyway , a great learning experience. In the end, I was praised by the students and continued in the other period with my workload doubled. After 01 year at the institution, I was invited to teach for other courses and ended up specializing in the subject in different approaches for different audiences. Other subjects were offered to me, including some in my training area. I became known by the course coordinators. By the end of the second year, my income was equal to my wife's and life was getting better. My circle of friends and my network grew and I grew as a person, professional and citizen. At the end of the second year of my PhD return, I had one of the greatest joys of my life... my wife was expecting a child. After losing three pregnancies, we were on our way to expanding our family... We found out she was a girl and decided to name her Rebeca.

We were planning her arrival, preparing the trousseau, the bedroom, in short, the dream of being able to embrace life in its fullness as parents. In the midst of this, at work, I was assigned to teach in my area, in addition to those in which I worked. My wife's pregnancy was not easy, but we remained firm in the belief that the blessing of having our daughter would make us more complete as human beings.

So in August of that year, on a special day, Rebeca was born... There I was in the delivery room watching the birth of my daughter... she was expected, loved, dreamed of... well, inside me, I imagined how she would be, what she would be, what I would do for her happiness... well, like any parent, I had imagined the world for her. That's when life tripped me up... When my daughter was born, it was like a sun was rising... at that moment, in one look, I knew there was nothing in the world that I didn't love more...