Olency Vales, born in Goa, India, grew up by the seaside in a warm, Portuguese-influenced culture shaped by Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism.

After completing her graduation in botany, she married in 2004 and moved to England in 2005 to join her husband in Swindon. Adjusting to a new country was challenging.

She missed Goa, struggled with food, and faced occasional racism but she adapted, working at Lidl and later raising four children. Olency values Swindon’s greenery, education system, and NHS but still feels her heart belongs in Goa, where she dreams of eventually returning.