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Category Archives: ExPat Life

Front of Ironworks entertainment venue from across the street.

Dylan Moran at Ironworks

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyMay 17, 20222 Comments

I held certain visions in my head about how life would be when I moved to Europe and one of them was that I could fly places for a few days for no other reason than to go to an event or explore. COVID lockdowns prevented that for my first year here and I found…

Beach in Vilamoura with two puppies running in the foreground

Some Days are Diamonds

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyMay 3, 2022Leave a comment

Today was not one of them. Some Days Are Better Than Others Saturday I was lucky enough to spend the day with a friend and two puppies that she is fostering. She picked me up at the train station, we went to a shopping center (puppies needed toys and treats), had lunch at Vilamoura Marina…

horse drawn carriage passing by waterfront

Should You Bring Your Car to Portugal?

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyApril 25, 2022Leave a comment

The love affair between Americans and their cars is well-documented. The culture of the US is constant movement and getting your driver’s license is seen as a rite of passage. A car equals freedom. It’s the call of the open road. Get your kicks on Route 66. Every Beach Boys song. It’s not surprising that…

Long shoreline with gentle surf and scudding white clouds

A Quick Tour of Cabanas

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyApril 19, 2022Leave a comment

A quick tour of Cabanas de Tavira underscored the reality that there are fishing villages and then there are fishing villages in Portugal. And just like that, it is summer in Portugal. Last week was a series of grey, cold, drizzly days that had me bundled up in my sweats and hugging my space heater…

Woman asleep on sofa surrounded by books and papers

Create Your Comfort Zone in a New Country

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyApril 11, 2022Leave a comment

It’s not easy to create your comfort zone in a new country but there are some steps you can take (and stuff you can bring) that will help ease the transition until your “new” becomes known and comfortable. As an escapee from the hustle and grind culture of the US, where we are urged daily…

Cute young couple sitting on stairs holding moving boxes

5 Things You Can Do to Transition to a New Country More Smoothly

ExPat Life, UncategorizedBy Barbara GrasseyApril 5, 2022Leave a comment

You can make the transition to a new country easier on yourself and I highly recommend doing so. This is posted in the spirit of “Don’t do what I did!” I moved to Portugal without having ever been here and without knowing a soul. It was the height (we hope) of the pandemic and traveling…

Cup of cappuccino with a froth heart

A New Country Equals Sensory Overload

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyMarch 28, 20221 Comment

Thursday I had coffee with –oh my gosh, seriously—the loveliest couple who have just arrived from the States. (And I’m not just saying that because they brought me coffee and candy.) We have been corresponding via Facebook messenger for months. They are originally from Columbia, lived in the States for decades and were last in…

Roman bridge with iron grill work decorated with blue and yellow ribbons

Dark Clouds Over Europe

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyMarch 22, 2022Leave a comment

It’s a rainy day here in The Algarve and it promises to be a rainy several days. There’s a storm system off-shore that is doing its best to come onshore. My tranquil little channel has whitecaps. There’s a shutter banging next door. Winds are coming in at about 50 mph with gusts up to 60.…

Sunset over the Ria Formosa with the words "I am finally home"

The Expat Life in Portugal: I’m Finally Home

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyMarch 14, 20223 Comments

Adjusting to the expat life in Portugal happens gradually and then… just like that. I have very much settled into my expat life in Portugal. I have my residency permit, I have my health insurance and my doctor, I have a long term apartment. I have decided to forego a car for another year or…

Pieces of paper with cut-out question marks on them

7 Questions to Ask Before You Move to a New Country

ExPat LifeBy Barbara GrasseyMarch 1, 2022Leave a comment

The idea of making that big leap—a move to a new country—is exciting and shiny and full of possibilities. Many of us yearn for adventure—or at least daydream about leaving our humdrum life behind and starting over in a new place. (Usually with a new wardrobe, slimmed down figure, fewer wrinkles, and more money—hey, it’s…

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