Who am I?

I am André Saab Gallego, a Brazilian that moved to the U.S. when I was just a kid; ever since then, I’ve been trying to discover who I truly am. I am forever stuck between both worlds, that of Brazil and that of the United States. Help! 🫨

André Gallego André Gallego

I’m outta here, or am I?💭

It all began with a stop sign 🛑

People can’t believe when I tell them that I’ve worked as a School Crossing Guard for nearly ten years. I basically became an adult at around 18, 19 years old, and immediately started working as a school crossing guard with the plan of working as one until I finished community college. That plan did turn out to be true, but I also didn’t expect to work as a school crossing guard and study at a community college for nearly ten years (that’s because as soon as I hit my senior year of high school, my mental health started to deteriorate rapidly - I found out I was bipolar type 2 within a matter of months; hey, that explains everything crazy that’s happened in my life!)

To make a long story short (something I definitely need more of in my life), I finish the 2024-2025 school year in my local Southern California city with great pride, but also great anxiety and sadness as I mull over what’s next for me. Over the years as a guard, I’ve received so much positive feedback (and a few negative/confrontational feedback as well, here and there, which is to be expected) and I’ve earned a few awards here and there, as well as several heartwarming gifts, but I feel it’s time to take a few steps back over the summer and regroup.

Here’s what I need to do -

  1. Rest for a few days, go “goblin mode” and relax for a few days and get outside, go for walks, bike rides, and establish a routine.

  2. Look into the local adult education center for IT classes; I need to study for about 8 months to earn something called a COMPTIA+ certification, a certificate that will allow me to “put my foot in the door” of IT jobs.

  3. Finish up the “document apocalypse” of my Brazilian university - I am planning on attending a Brazilian university to earn a 4 year degree in the field of English (which is ironic, since I’ll be studying in a foreign university whose main language is not English, but Portuguese, but going there will allow me to save a lot of money in tuition - and most importantly, I’ll be able to actually finish and earn a degree, for once in my life!!

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