Don’t touch on my dream
June 18, 2019 was a sad day for many people who were dreaming about living a dream abroad, through an exchange to Ireland, Australia, Canada or any country in the UK because the agency Time 2 Travel (T2T) announced that they were closing due to financial problems.
In another situation, I would say it’s a funny moment, but it is not. From day to night you realize that all your planning, all the money you invested, the job that you quit and the car or motocycle that you sold was everything for nothing. The guys, who finally sold you a dream, closed their doors without any consideration for your efforts.
I’m sorry for everyone who doesn’t know what to do now and what it is going to be of their future, but after reading the news about the closure I understood how, once again, I was very lucky in my journey to Ireland.
I never image living my adult life in Brazil, I always wanted to live in other country, learn a different language, live in another culture and in 2017 I decided to go to Canada, where I wanted to do a screenplay’ course, but after some calculation I realized it wouldn’t work because I wouldn’t have had enough money to survive a year there.
A few months later and after a little research I found out that Ireland would be a viable destination and from then on everything happened very quickly. I talked with a friend about my decision and she recommeded an agency to me that she knew from working together with them in a NGO she helped.
We went to a meeting organized for the agency about living and working in Ireland, after that I contected the agency and started the process of doing the exchange. All that happened in the beginning of 2018, I travelled to Ireland in October of the same year.
After I read the news about T2T, all the process I did came to mind and I realized how naive I was. Why? Simple. Because I didn’t check the background of the agency as a company and I relied on my friend’s opinion. Of course I went to the office and talked with an agent, but it was a mistake not to do some deeper research.
I informed my employer of my decision and they supported me through the process, but looking back after this past week, if there is anything I would do different, I should have protected myself more.
I would contact a lawyer to know about my rights regarding a closure or a breach of contract to protect myself. I would look for other options of agencies and prices and I would do everything more calmly, and, if it were necessary to delay, thinking today, I probably do it. I would do everything in my power to protect my dream.
I really hope that the people who were affected find a resolution for their dream, I hope that they can experience what they always wanted and I hope that T2T doesn’t be disrespectful with the customers who had paid a considerable amount to live in the chosen country.
One of the worst things that could happen is to see your dream be taken away from you and you not have the power or strength to fight back and protect what is yours.
