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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
Can Values be Physical? There’s a gull screeching—he seems more angry than mournful. A noisy flock of sparrows swoops onto the empty restaurant deck below, hunting for crumbs left behind by yesterday’s diners. My daily walk includes magpies and herons and I think a couple of cormorants. In spite of spending two years working on…
Here’s What You DO have to be You don’t have to be brave to move abroad. (Okay, maybe a little.) There are other traits that you need much more than courage if you’re going to make the leap to living overseas. As it turns out, the better you are at these, the less courage you…