Summary

Gabriel Morse, a Brazilian ESL teacher and travel enthusiast from a favela in Minas Gerais, shares his journey of personal growth through travel, his love for cultural exchange, and his passion for singing.

Abstract

Gabriel Morse, also known as Gabriel Dos Santos De Sa, hails from one of Brazil's largest favelas and has dedicated his life to exploring the world and its cultures. As an ESL teacher, international program advisor, translator, and interpreter, he bridges language barriers and offers life-changing opportunities to others. His travels have taken him to 18 countries, with a goal to visit 30 by age 30. Morse emphasizes the transformative power of travel, which has expanded his perspective on life and shown him that happiness can be found anywhere. He holds a special place in his heart for Puerto Rico, where he felt a profound cultural connection. Morse also enjoys singing opera and believes in the liberating experience of solo travel. He is preparing to move to Dublin, Ireland, and considers road trips his favorite mode of travel, citing a memorable journey from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. His travel philosophy includes not waiting for the perfect time to explore, the accessibility of travel for all budgets, and the value of friendships formed on the road.

Opinions

Morse believes that life, much like art, can be expressed in various ways and that travel reveals this diversity.
He feels that travel has empowered him to exceed the limitations imposed by his upbringing.
Puerto Rico stands out to him as an exceptionally welcoming and vibrant destination.
Morse values the sense of freedom and self-discovery that comes from solo travel.
He is excited about the cultural richness and strategic location of Ireland for further European exploration.
He advocates for budget-conscious travel, emphasizing that it's possible to travel affordably, even in expensive cities like New York.
Morse cherishes the deep connections and friendships formed during his travels, particularly in hostels.
He finds camping to be a quintessential travel activity that allows him to connect with nature and have life-changing experiences.

Globetrotters Writer Spotlight — Gabriel Morse (Travel Stories By Gabe)

Hi Globetrotters. My name is…

Gabriel. But you can call me Gabe. I’m mostly known as Gabriel Morse, but my real name is Gabriel Dos Santos De Sa.

I come from…

I proudly come from one of the largest Favelas in Brazil. A Favela is a slum or an informal working-class shantytown in Brazil. I’m one of the 5 children of a biracial father and a black mother who grew up poor in the great Favelas of a state called Minas Gerais, Brazil. I lived most of my life in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte.

Today I call the world home. I’m a world traveler who is trying to see 30 countries by the age of 30 (I’ve seen 18 countries so far), and who is living in different countries every year through various work and cultural exchange programs.

I work as a…

I work as an ESL teacher, international program advisor, translator, and interpreter. I’m fluent in both English and Portuguese, and my job is to connect Portuguese speakers and English Speakers with a world of life-changing opportunities through the power of language learning, traveling, and the art of translation and interpretation.

But this is my job when I’m living in my home country. When I’m living abroad, I work with many different things. I’ve already worked as a camp counselor, a babysitter, a tour guide, and so many other things.

I love to travel because…

Because when I travel and get to see different cultures, I can see that life is like art. It doesn’t have to be lived in just one way. It can be expressed in many different ways.

Traveling changed my life completely. It showed a guy from a poor family that the world is so big and full of chances to be happy. It allowed me to see that I don’t have to be in the same place where I grew up for the rest of my life. Not that there’s something wrong with that, but that I’m capable of so much more than what I was told I could do. Traveling made me feel special, loved, and worthy of life.

The best place I’ve been is…

Puerto Rico! My life was not the same after I visited Puerto Rico. As a brown-skin Latino, going to Puerto Rico felt like a dream where I could connect with my people in a way I can’t put into words. Brazilians aren’t often welcomed into the Latino community (even though we are) simply because we don’t speak Spanish, but when I was in Puerto Rico I felt welcomed, loved, included, and a part of the culture just like everybody else from Latin America.

The place is breathtakingly beautiful, the food is ridiculously delicious, the people are the most hospitable people on the planet, the music is everything and the culture is unique. This place has an energy like no other. Puerto Rico is not a paradise, it is THE paradise.

In my spare time, I like to…

Sing. A fun fact about me is that I am an opera singer. I’ve been singing since I was 8 years old, and it is one of my favorite things to do in my free time. Karaoke bars are my number one favorite place in the whole world. I always have so much fun.

My top travel tip is…

Travel solo. Traveling with friends and family is fun, but traveling solo is liberating.

If I could live somewhere else, I’d live in…

Well, I’m about to move to Dublin, Ireland. And I plan to live there for two years. After this work and study experience in Ireland, I might go to South Africa. I’ve always wanted to live there, so maybe it will be time. But right now, I’m very excited about Ireland. It is where I really want to live. Its culture is unique, its people are wonderful and it is super well located in Europe, which makes traveling to other European countries a lot easier.

My favorite way to travel is…

By car. I am obsessed with road trips. I’ve gone on so many different road trips all around the world. My favorite one was when I went from San Francisco, California to LA, then from LA to Vegas, and from Vegas to Lake Tahoe with one of my best friends.

Another reason why I love road trips is that I really enjoy driving. It can be super stressful when you have to drive in the city, but when you drive from one state to another, it feels different.

Three lessons I’ve learned from traveling are…

Traveling has taught me so much about life and about who I am. But most importantly, it has taught me about who I can be. But if I had to choose three lessons, I’d say that they were:

1- Don’t wait for the “perfect time” to travel. The perfect time is now.

2- Traveling is not only for the rich. So, don’t prevent yourself from looking things up and booking a trip just because you suppose you won’t be able to afford it. Define a budget and that’s how much you will spend. At the same time, you can easily spend $100 per day in New York, you can also spend $20 per day in New York. Once you realize this, you will understand that traveling is for everyone.

3- The friends you make when you travel can become your best friends too. Time is irrelevant. You don’t need a thousand years so you can get to know somebody. I’ve developed such a strong and genuine connection with the friends I made while I stayed at hostels in a way I can’t describe. We lived things that I’ve never even lived with any childhood friend before. So, be open to new friendships no matter what.

My number one travel activity is…

To go camping. Camping is the perfect way to connect with nature. Whenever I travel, I always make sure to find a way to go camping. It is fun, cheap, relaxing and life-changing.

I hope you enjoyed reading about me!

If you’d like to hear more stories from me, don’t forget to follow me on Medium. I post inspiring, informative and fun stories every week.