A thank-you note to the people at IATEFL

This is a simple thank-you note to all the people who in one way or another helped me during the IATEFL event.

Before and during the event, British Council people were fantastic. From planning the trip to the conference itself, the professionals I met were always there for me and never let me down. They taught me a lot and I owe a special thanks to the Brighton Online team: Julian, Rena, Neil, Sirin, Martin and everyone else, thank you!

I was fortunate enough to have two lovely colleagues as reporters - Duygu and Maureen. Thank you both for the experiences and anxieties we shared, and the atmosphere of camaraderie. I was great to have met you.

A thank you to all the people I met - the ones I'd met before and the new arrivals. It was wonderful to meet people I'd only known online (I saw they did exist!) and to be greeted in such a warm way. Meeting big and small names, of different nationalities and accents was the spice of the conference. Without people there's no conference. Thanks for being so nice.

Finally, special thanks to Valeria França, the Head of the Training Department of the school I work at in Brazil. Without her encouragement and tips, this experience would have been much more difficult. I can't forget my workmates and my family in Brazil, for all the hugs and wishes of good luck I received. I took them along the way in my heart, and it made all the difference.