Charlie Abel

Hi there! My name’s Charlie, I’m part of IH Bristol’s accommodation and administration teams.

I was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, but moved to Bristol before I was 3 months old. While I visit Sweden for a week or two most years, I have lived almost my whole life in a small village on the outskirts of Bristol – I love the countryside, but Bristol has so many huge, green spaces that I feel at home even in the city centre!

Despite not having lived long-term in Sweden, my mum spoke to me in Swedish as a child and so I am now fluent – knowing a second language is incredibly valuable, as a second perspective/way of thinking, as an expansion of vocabulary and ability to express oneself, but above all, as a way of bringing people together. “If you speak to a person in a language they understand, that goes to their head. If you speak to them in their own language, that goes to their heart” – I love the look on a persons face when they realise you speak their language, especially when they themselves are abroad and can’t always share their thoughts exactly as they want to!

I am also learning Japanese – I find eastern culture fascinating, and one day I hope to spend time in Japan, China and Korea, possibly even teaching English (one day!). I am a very casual student, spending only a little time every day, but learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint, and I know that one day my efforts will bear fruit! I also love playing the piano; music is a language that everyone can understand – after all, speaking is just one way of sharing feelings and emotions through sound!