Hello, my name is Montserrat Garcia Barona, and just as a fun fact, my first surname Garcia is fairly common in Mexico. My family calls me Montse and my friends call me Mon. As of today’s date, as I write this letter, I am 21 years old, which I turned on April 14th of this year. I grew up in a town called Metepec, located on the outskirts of Mexico City, in a state also called Mexico, in a female-headed household: my younger sister Fátima, my older sister Maria Jose, my mother Grisel and I. We are a great female empowered team, they are my whole life, along with my kitty Clementina. The relationship with my father is great and a very important part of my life. We spend weekends together, he lives 5 minutes away, so we also get to spend time together during the week. My parents decided to divorce when I was 8 years old, and although it was a difficult time in many aspects, they always sought for our emotional well-being and supported us with a very necessary tool: psychological guidance. Personally, I consider this to be one of the most valuable things you can do for a child, because understanding my emotions has helped me strengthen my connection with myself. This, in turn, has allowed me to cope with stages of alienation in order to focus my energy on what really matters. And what really matters to me is connecting with whatever comes fortuitously in my way along the path I’ve chosen to take, always identifying risky situations in which I avoid being at all costs, I prefer to preserve my energy for feeling calm within myself and with my surroundings. So what truly nourishes me: social interactions, bonds and the worlds created within them, the understanding of myself as part of a beautiful network of consciousness in which we all inhabit. Perhaps it’s needless to say that I’m an outgoing person, or at least in my language and culture, I thrive. I am eager to see what awaits me, as living in a completely different culture sounds like quite an exciting challenge, it will be, that’s partly why I’ve decided to dive into this incredible opportunity. Because of all the love that it takes to be vulnerable, opening up to this as a disruptive act that demands a lot of courage, and my courage stems from the hope of finding a beautiful home where I can strengthen my heart with humble knowledge, teach what’s within my reach, and continue in this cycle of information that makes us human, good people, friends, fortuitous beings united by empathy. For the past two years of my life, I studied a certificate program in photography, and currently I am studying an online bachelor degree in communication, i reckon that I found my passion in these disciplines, and combining practical knowledge from photography with theoretical insights from the communication degree has been a powerful tool in my outgrowing process. Being able to interpret and reinterpret reality has led me to a path of resignification, and walking through it has definitely enhanced my creative and social abilities. Studying has been like acquiring a new pair of eyes, and I’m excited to be able to actively observe the culture of the Netherlands through them, and return to my purest capacity of impression, like a child. For the past year, I have been attending practical sessions for early childhood education, the first 6 months in a public kindergarten where my mom works, I assisted the teachers with the groups while doing their regular activities, and when needed walk the kids to the bathroom. The last 6 months I have been assisting in the school where I grew up from the age of 6 until I completed my high school at 15. Here I´ ve been learning and working hand in hand with the teacher from a group made up of 10 children from 1 to 2 years old. My role here has been to accompany the children during their school routine and help with group control to ensure their safety. The teacher leads the class dynamically with many hands-on activities, while I ensure that the materials used are handled safely, and that they work in harmony with their peers. Most of the children still wear diapers, so I ensure to remain attentive to those who need a change and do so when necessary. I also accompany the kids to the toilet, assist them in sitting down, and help with cleanup afterward.. Then comes lunchtime, where I have to cut their food into small pieces and supervise them at all times to prevent choking. They can already use a spoon, although not perfectly yet, so I assist them if they are struggling. To end the school day, they take a nap, but some of them are still a bit restless from the activities, so I have to soothe them with songs and gentle touches on their backs to help them fall asleep. Returning to my childhood school, seeing the other side of the coin, and experiencing it firsthand, has changed my worldview. Accompanying these little humans made me realise of how incredible is their ability to process and interpret information from the environment through their senses without any filter, and it has become the principal reason why i want to work with children,I think we should all reconnect with our inner child, and i know that i can learn from them and this experience how to perceive with such an amazement, to value the simplest things and enjoy life without prejudice. I consider children to be great teachers, and I approach this experience with a high level of openness to receiving new information and integrating it in the best way possible. In closing, once again express my excitement and happiness for embarking on this adventure in your country, with your family. I hope we can get to know each other better very soon and, if we are fortunate, establish a connection and immerse ourselves in this lovely cultural and emotional exchange. Hopefully we stick around and see you soon Best wishes, Montse