Maria Neves

The first thing about me, I find utterly uncomfortable the exercise of "pitching myself" (i.e., about me sections, CV, personal statements, interviews), but let it be a challenge and not an obstacle. Because the second thing about me, I value going beyond my self-limitations. I see true beauty in the simple things and I believe knowing someone intrinsically relies on details, so let me tell you a story about me...

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I love to laugh, to smile big. I treasure studying, learning, and traveling. I believe there's gold in pain. I believe in the coexistence of the divine and the factual, and that these are not mutually exclusive. I believe in what I've come to call the magic of the Universe; because given my life, I can't help but feel this way. I love mornings and the sun. Born and raised on the coast side. I am an early bird, an ocean's child. Ideally, I'd wake up between 6:00 and 6:30 am every morning. Adore some good porridge for breakfast and how creative one can be with it! Horseriding is the one thing in this world that I metaphorically couldn't live without. Vietnamese, favourite cuisine. My grandma's cooking, favourite dishes. Bettering myself, favourite priority.

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Growing up surrounded by unequal power relations, in retrospect, probably manifested in my academic interests: gender studies, feminist theory, othering, and (presumably not directly associated with the same bases) terrorism. I do Politics and International Relations, graduating in June'23. Yet, against all stereotypes, I struggle to have inflexible opinions, because the more I know - the more I emphasize with distinct perspectives - the less (I feel like) I know. Can't see me as a policy-maker, that would be a huge plot twist.

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I used to paint, and now I mostly write. I think even wording can be "aesthetically" pleasing. That perfect quote or paragraph, where words meet each other and dance together. I journal. Speak three languages: Portuguese, Spanish, and English. Plus, I'm currently learning French. I moved to England when I was 17, and lived in Sweden for nearly a year, a couple of months before I turned 20. I am 21 now, and back in the UK. I like it here, although I am still yet to find a place that feels like home.

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I started this blog in my first year of uni, it came about so spontaneously! Call it a thing, my first post, illustrates no preparation, and no structure behind it - I was very much like that back then. Nevertheless, academics and living abroad totally changed that game for me. Shame I am not very consistent (I know!!)... ironically, it gets me consistently trying to improve! Bottom line is, I'd like this to be a space where I can talk to you guys openly about anything I feel like sharing! Besides, I see it as a nice way to keep a "memoir" for my future self.

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We are all such immense beings, it's really hard to provide a full grasp of who I am, and what's my personality like :) but at least, now you know a little more about me and how/why I am here! If somehow you resonated with my very (resumed) view of life, I invite you to join me on this journey by subscribing to the blog down here! ⤵️ 💫