Hard winds

Hard Winds are Blowing

The wind has been blowing for the past five days and my bedroom window has been rattling in its casing the entire time. There is a mass of air coming from the deserts of North Africa hitting the entire continent of Europe, causing poor air quality and a haze that has hung over the Algarve,…

Laundering Memories

Oh boy! Today the sun is shining and I jump out of bed, knowing that I need to take advantage of the morning sun. It’s a great day to wash the sheets! (Yes, the expat life is downright exhilarating.) My AirBnB has a fantastic, state-of-the-art washing machine, but like most of the places I saw…

Stairs in Albufeira

Little Victories

I wake up to the sound of gulls jabbering. A thick, muffling fog rolled in overnight. The construction on the building in front of me hasn’t started yet. It’s much better to wake up to the sound of gulls than jackhammers. Motivating, even. It is cold again, but still warmer than a month ago. This…

Setting Routines

I like being five hours ahead of the US east coast. I can do a day’s worth of work—or play—and still take care of business. For the most part, I don’t…but I could. I am still working out the timing on some meetings. 8:00 pm EST is 1:00 am here. Any evening meetings are not…