
Moving abroad is a big leap, physically and metaphorically. I have had “Live in Europe for at least one year” on my bucket list for decades. It was always a “someday” dream, along with learning how to ride a motorcycle and getting a sailboat. (I’ve already jumped out of an airplane, thank you. Twice.)
This year, in the middle of a global pandemic, I picked up and moved. Or so it seemed to many of my friends. But I realize that I have been positioning myself towards this for years. Here’s how:
1. I work for myself
Working for myself means that I don’t have to show up to an office every day. I don’t have to ask for time off, whether I am sick, or vacationing, or just plain lazy. It also means that I am totally dependent on providing for myself. If I don’t work, I don’t make money, I don’t eat, I end up living under a bridge. I’ve learned how to find clients and get my work done without having a boss standing over me. I’ve been in my current business for over 15 years, which gives me some credibility when government agencies look skeptically at the ticked “self-employed” box. Moving abroad hasn’t changed my work life very much. I structure my days, writing in the early mornings, doing client work once the US starts waking up. My company is US based. I am physically in Europe, but I am still working in the States.
2. 95% of my business is conducted over the internet
This is what allows me to work from anywhere in the world with a wifi connection. In truth, I can work with all of my clients remotely; it just happens that a few of them were local to me in Florida. If we need to talk, I set up a Zoom meeting or I call them using Google voice, which is a free service. I also have Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, and wifi calling through T-Mobile. I can now be reached in more ways than I ever used in the States. Live speaking gigs have been off the table for a year now. I still do podcast interviews and Zoom talks. Moving abroad didn’t affect that only because Covid already did.
If you’re working a regular job or if your work is geographically limited, you may need to start a side hustle that will grow into your main business or start moving your business online. The pandemic has shown employers that their people can be productive from home. I think remote work will be a lot more prevalent in the new normal. People have learned to unmute themselves on Zoom (for the most part). Experiment with how much of your current business you can shift online. The transition may be easier than you think.
#3. I have no romantic entanglements, real estate, pets, or plants
When I moved, I had a long distance relationship that became longer distance. I had sold all my real estate back in the crash and I’ve been a happy renter for years. (Much better than being a landlord; not as good as being a homeowner in some respects.) I didn’t have a pet or plants. So there was nothing tying me to one location. That being said, it’s a very difficult thing to leave friends and family behind, not sure if you’ll ever see them again. The pandemic and quarantine actually made it a little easier—I couldn’t visit with my most of my friends and family anyway. We were already doing Zoom calls to keep in touch. The only thing that has changed is that the Zoom calls need to be held a little earlier in the day. The downside is if someone gets sick, I can’t get to them as easily as I once could. But it can still be done.
If you’re in a relationship, this definitely has to be a joint decision. You might try it out for a shorter period of time or jump in feet first. Don’t let having kids stop you. Lots of expats have kids who flourish in an international environment. If you have real estate, I would recommend renting it out, using a competent property management company. Do your homework on this—good property managers are hard to find. You can always sell (or keep renting) the house if you decide you’re not coming back.
Most countries will allow your pets to come with. You just need to have their shots up to date and they may have to quarantine for a short period of time. If you have more than three pets, this is going to be tougher, just because of numbers. As to plants, give them away. Let them cheer up someone else.
#4. The Real Question
The question people want to ask but are too polite to is, “How could you afford to move to Portugal?”
My back up reserves for financing this were small. However, I still work and I do have income which covers my ongoing expenses. The biggest expense was prepaying for six months of accommodations in Portugal, which I discuss in my post on the Portugal visa process. That prepaid rent also made the transition easier—I didn’t have to worry about earning money while I was settling in.
I have spent the past few years whittling down my debts and getting rid of expenses. If you have a $100 a month payment, you need to earn $130 – $150 to pay it. That’s not counting any interest you’re being charged; that’s just income taxes. So, getting rid of payments nets you more money than most people realize.
To attain residency in Portugal, you need to show steady income, somewhere above €750 a month (around $900 US). For most retirees on Social Security, that’s easy; it’s a small amount by US standards. Every country has a different threshold, of course. When someone works for themselves, the money doesn’t always come in even monthly streams. In that case, you need to show that you are earning that much on a yearly basis. Or at least that’s what I am surmising.
Am I anxious about money? A little. But the truth is my expenses here are just about the same as in the States. Right now, they’re actually a little less because I no longer have car insurance payments and things like electricity and wifi are included in my Airbnb rates. In fact, my Airbnbs are slightly less than my rent was back in the States.
I have made major moves before. I moved from Massachusetts to Georgia to Florida, back to Georgia, to San Francisco, then Hawaii and back to Florida. When I was debating moving to Portugal, I thought back to my biggest move: San Francisco to Hawaii, way back in 1989. I knew one person in Hawaii; I don’t know anyone in Portugal. I made the jump because “Live in Hawaii” had been on my bucket list (it wasn’t called a bucket list back then) for almost a decade.
Then I remembered how I financed it. Or in truth, how I didn’t have the finances to make the move. If I had a better grasp of reality at the time, I probably wouldn’t have made the jump. I prepaid for a week in a hotel with the idea that I would find a cheap place to live—which I did. I may have had $2,500 cash in total after shipping belongings, airline ticket (one way), and the hotel. I had the (maybe) promise of a job and when my money started getting low, I signed on with a temp agency. The job came through about five months later. I didn’t starve. I didn’t die. I had a lot of fun.
The Deciding Factor
What was the deciding factor? What overcame my inertia? Mortality. I am getting older and less mobile. Yeah, I’m not old and frail, but another ten years of sitting on the couch would have sidelined me. It was a do it now or never do it at all situation.
Mostly I just got mad because I was lying to myself. I gave myself a thorough chewing out: How can you say you want to do this but not do it? Either you really want to move to Europe or you need to take it off the list and never go. Basically, I kicked my own ass.
Moving abroad doesn’t have to be just a someday dream. You can organize your life to make the leap to becoming an expat. Everyone’s situation is different and I was in a better position than most just because of the work I do. If you truly want to give living abroad a try, start organizing your life with that goal in mind. It may take a year or more, but it can be done. You just have to decide to do it.
What’s on your bucket list? Where do you want to go? Let me know in the comments.
Hi Barbara, I’ve been dreaming of a life abroad for the past 10 years. I’m in a relationship with a man 26 years my junior who doesn’t like to travel. And although I am relatively happy with the arrangement, I know I’m going to have to make a decision about this dream within the next year. I’m 66, the knees are starting to “go,” and my dog is nearing the end of her natural life. If Trump gets reelected in 2024, I’m out of here. I just can’t go through another term of that madman at the helm. That said, Portugal has been at the top of my destination list for a long time (Mexico as well, but been there, done that). Your story really resonates with me, so I will continue to follow along and hopefully make a plan before it’s too late. Thank you for your candor, humor and lots of useful information. Enjoy wine for breakfast. Why not?
I’ve found the more I walk, the better my hip gets. Maybe your knees will fall in line, too! As to the man… 26 years younger is a definite perk, but your life is about you and what you want to do with it. You could try it out for a few months–rent an airbnb and get a taste for living over here. I would have done a scouting trip if I had been able to, but COVID lockdowns put me in a jump now or maybe never position. If your gent doesn’t want to travel, leave him home to take care of the dog. 🙂
Thank you for this information–I can’t believe I’m contemplating this, but, quite frankly, the way the US is heading at the moment is making me crazy. And my rent just went up 25 percent! The idea of living in a warm, peaceful place where my income would be plenty for my simple needs is extremely attractive. I’m wondering if I can learn some basic Portuguese first!
I have a lot of friends who are carefully eyeballing the mid-terms. Moving to a new country is a big adjustment, but once you’re out of the US, you realize how much craziness has been normalized. My Portuguese classes start in September. I think that will help considerably. 🙂
Hi Barbara.
I am going to make the move in 5 years, yes a 5 year plan.
I will be 65 a bit of savings and SS, and a few pets.
I have started the process of scaling down ie: getting rid of books, boxes of old photos, letters ,BD cards. and tchotchkes.
I am not sure if I should lease my townhouse or sell it, any ideas?
I will rent a place in Porto for 6 months until I find an area I want to put roots down.
I don’t know how many critters will be with me but they do have to come.
I hope to keep in touch and let you know how I am progressing.
That’s terrific! I love five year plans! If you haven’t been a landlord before, I would probably rent the townhouse for the first year through a property management company. Finding a decent property management company can be difficult depending on where you live, so ask for recommendations if you can. After your first year, you can decide on whether you want to keep it or sell it. Everyone I talk to (including Portuguese citizens) loves Porto. I haven’t been there yet but hope to explore a bit more after I get my residency permit and COVID calms down. And yes, the more you get rid of, the better. If you’re in any of the expat Facebook groups, you see people arriving with TONS of luggage. I have two suitcases (one big, one carry on), my laptop and a Nantucket bag. I haven’t added a whole lot in the seven months I’ve been here: a coffee maker and I just bought a printer for my work. (And sheets and towels.) I wear the same things most days–t-shirts and shorts.
Barbara, I am so enjoying your blog from Portugal! I love your writing and your wit. And I’m so glad you made the big leap across the pond. (Good grief! I’m making you sound like a frog!) I bet you will be too. I think the general wisdom is we only regret the things we don’t do, and I’m fairly sure that’s accurate.
I lived the expat life for 10 years — 5 years in Africa (Burundi and Kenya) and 5 in Denmark. My situation was quite different than yours. I had a job already waiting for me in Africa and a Danish husband made Denmark an easier transition (except for the blankety blank language!). Plus I was all of 24 years old when I left the States. But I can tell you this — I still miss the expat life and frequently wish I had never left it.
I’m a book writing coach — specializing in the woman who wants to write a transformational book and helping her get a great jumpstart on her book so she won’t get lost in the weeds halfway through and will actually — you know — finish the book and even enjoy the writing process most of the time. I see you are a book marketing specialist. You and I should talk. I would like to be able to refer my clients to good people for the rest of their book journey once they leave me.
I wish I had done this sooner! I am fortunate that just about everyone speaks some English and most are truly fluent. But I need to get on the stick and learn basic Portuguese beyond good afternoon and thank you. I’ll send you an email to see if we can connect. Cheers!
1) Get through a course in the general theory of relativity (done)
2) Run a marathon (Well, I did a half-marathon. Slowly. “Run” is pushing it.)
3) Eat at a White Castle (As Rick Blaine said to Captain Louis Renault, “I was misinformed”)
4) Publish a book (In press! Yaah!)
5) Play an instrument good enough that people clap. And not out of politeness!
6) Bike the RAGBRAI and Going to the Sun. Before the glaciers melt of course
7) Catch a fish. I enjoy being on the water but never catch ANYTHING
That’s a pretty good list. I don’t eat fish so I just enjoy being on the water. Have you done the RAGBRAI or is that still on the list? And you know, you get to keep adding to the list. But thanks for the tip on White Castle. Won’t have to do THAT! Cheers, Leo!