It is a cloudy afternoon in Aveiro, Portugal on February 26, and there is a chill in the air that contrasts the morning’s sunny heat. Marcia is working at one of the many guided boat tour stands along the Aveiro River. She must be assertive during her workday; her job is to approach the growing number of tourists that wander down the brick sidewalk and ask if they would like to take a relaxing, informative ride on a barco moliceiro. These vibrantly-colored boats that speckle the saltwater canal are Aveiro’s distinguishing scene. In fact, Aveiro is deemed the “Venice of Portugal” due to the serene waterway that river boat guides, like Marcia, utilize to float numerous tourists down everyday.

Marcia approaches my friends and I and asks if we would like to take a ride, but we decline, although the cost is just five euros. Instead, we decide to inquire about her future plans and dreams for herself, considering her stance as a young, working woman in Portugal.  For many Portuguese, this is a pivotal time – many, at least historically, have left their home in order to make a more economically-stable future for themselves.  Nowadays, though, things may be different due to an influx of tourists.

Marcia, 25, has lived in Portugal her entire life. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art history before completing her master’s degree at the University of Aveiro in tourism. Portugal welcomed over 20 million tourists in 2016, and the tourism industry comprises a large part of the country’s economy.

English is taught in school in Portugal, and Marcia was required to read articles in English for her master’s degree. She speaks English very well, and is easily able to understand and respond to us. Marcia is open about what the future looks like for her, and with animated hand movements describes, “my dream is to be a guide, a touristic guide, so I will fight for it.” Her position working for the boat tour company appears to be a stepping stone to this dream.

The tourism industry has influenced the dreams of the millennial population and the economy is viewed to be on an upswing. As Marcia plays with her pen and cap and avoids eye contact, she talks about how she would love to go to Ireland or England.

However, since Marcia has lived in Portugal her entire life and her dream is viable due to the country’s current economy, when asked if she can see herself leaving Portugal in the future, her chocolate brown eyes sparkle and she says with a laugh, “Now I think I will be here forever.”