It is festival time here in Santa Luzia, Festa dos Pescadores, to be exact and it is THE BIG PARTY of the year. This small fishing village has gone all out this year, after having scaled down events the past two years due to the pandemic. What I saw last year—a few kiddie rides, some…
Today I was supposed to have a doctor’s appointment and tomorrow I am expecting a package from DHL. My doctor’s office called and changed my appointment to tomorrow. DHL texted to say they were delivering the package today. And that is basically how things go here. I missed a dental appointment a couple of weeks…
Part of the job of being a writer, freelance in particular, is setting up your routines and then being disciplined enough to follow through on them. I am VERY good at the former, not so much at the latter. Because I write for private clients as well as myself, I have to make sure I…
Hell Yeah, It’s Hot Here! We have hit the dog days of summer here in The Algarve. While the entire Iberian Peninsula may not be on fire (as the US media is apparently reporting, based on emails from concerned friends), it sure feels that way. Temperatures have been in the 90s and 100s for the…
Warning: This one is political. If you want rainbows and unicorns, come back next week. I read yet another article this morning about US peeps moving to Portugal to start over. They are fleeing the high cost of living as well as the hustle and grind culture of the US, and, as one woman so…
My first trip to the dentist in Portugal was a pleasant surprise. I grew up with a dentist who I believe received his training from the Army in World War II and he made his living finding and filling cavities. Back then, I think they used mercury fillings. To this day I wonder how many…
Working as an expat in Portugal is one of the many moving pieces of moving abroad. For the most part, Portugal wants to see that you have brought your source of income with you. High-paying jobs are not common here. Minimum wage is around $750 a month but you can’t really live on that unless…
Quick Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means if you click a link and buy something, I get a small commission at no expense to you. Thanks very much!! Moving anywhere requires planning and money. Moving abroad brings a whole new set of expenses. How Much Money Will You…
Moving abroad has a ton of moving parts and in some cases, the requirements you have to meet before qualifying to move (i.e., getting a visa) involve some financial risk. As much as you try to time events out to be as frictionless as possible, there will be duplicate expenses, hold ups, red tape, wasted…
When considering your new place to live, give solid thought to what you absolutely require as opposed to what could be classified as “nice to have.” When I decided I was FINALLY going to pull the lever and go after my goal of living outside the US, I knew it would not be a smooth…