Mover: Portugal Unpacked
Dreaming of a life in Portugal? Mover: Portugal Unpacked dives deep into the realities of relocating to this beautiful country. Join us as we chat with others who've taken the plunge, sharing their unfiltered experiences – the highs, the lows, and everything in between. From navigating visa applications and finding housing, to embracing the culture and building a new community, we explore the practicalities and emotional rollercoaster of starting a new life in Portugal. Whether you're actively planning a move or simply curious about the experience, Mover: Portugal Unpacked offers honest and insightful conversations, giving you a realistic perspective on what it truly takes to make Portugal your new home.
Mover: Portugal Unpacked
Living Brave: What Happens When You Choose a New Beginning?
When Sarah's husband first mentioned wanting to leave Colorado in 2017, she couldn't imagine abandoning her beloved home state. Fast forward through road trips across America, a global pandemic, and countless hours of research – they eventually found themselves boarding a plane to Portugal in 2023 with fifteen bags, a dog, and a marriage that was, in Sarah's words, "hanging on by a thread."
This conversation reveals how a dramatic geographic change can transform family dynamics in unexpected ways. Sarah, a licensed counselor who helps others live authentically, describes the profound shift from parallel lives filled with constant work and minimal connection to a united family experience where grocery shopping together becomes a cherished activity rather than another task to delegate.
The cultural transition wasn't without challenges. From standing confused in front of butter displays to navigating bureaucracy in a new language, Sarah candidly shares the learning curve of expatriate life. Yet these hurdles pale in comparison to the lifestyle benefits – weekends now revolve around exploring new cities rather than catching up on chores, and family connection has blossomed in ways that weren't possible in their previous existence.
What emerges is a nuanced portrait of expatriate life that goes beyond the common "paradise abroad" narrative. Sarah doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties of rebuilding a social network, adjusting to different cultural norms, or managing the anxiety of navigating daily life in a new language. Instead, she offers practical insights for those considering a similar move, emphasizing the importance of getting clear on your "why" and approaching cultural differences with curiosity rather than judgment.
Whether you're actively planning an international move or simply curious about how others have reimagined their lives through relocation, this conversation offers valuable perspective on what it truly means to step outside your comfort zone in pursuit of a more aligned existence.
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I've seen a lot of change, been through a lot of pain.
Speaker 2:Now we do most things together. We only have one car. We go most places together. There's just a completely different sense of connection here than was even possible in our old lives. I love being able to walk to the grocery store together and just have a chat right, rather than hey, we're so busy, you run to the grocery store while I do this, and then we'll come back together for 10 minutes and eat while we separate again and go and do our own things.
Speaker 1:That's where it stays way back a year ago. I've changed for the better this time. I thought I would never be fine.
Speaker 3:I strive just to say I'm alright Dreaming of a life in Portugal, or maybe you're just curious about what it would be like to move here. My family and I began planning for our move way back in 2020. It took two more years to make it happen, and it has been quite an adventure. Before you pack your bags, listen in to hear the real stories of those who've already taken the leap. Every other Wednesday, we dive deep into the experiences of individuals and families who chose to make Portugal their home, Discover their motivations, the challenges they faced and the unexpected joys they encountered along the way. We'll explore their preparation strategies, navigating bureaucracy and the realities of building a new life in a foreign land. Whether you're seriously considering a move or simply curious about life in Portugal, these authentic accounts will offer invaluable insights and help you decide if this sun-drenched country is someplace you want to relocate to, or maybe just visit on vacation. Welcome to Mover, portugal, unpacked.
Speaker 3:I am really excited to have my friend Sarah on today, and let me tell you a little bit about what an amazing human being she is. Sarah is a licensed counselor and has owned her own private practice since 2009. She is a writer, blogger, counselor, coach and speaker. Sarah passionately believes in the healing power of vulnerability and that by learning to speak our truth and fully embrace who we are, we become free. She loves helping people live a brave life that's in alignment with their truest and most authentic selves. Her most recent project is called Living Brave and it fits right in with what she's doing now and why she's here today, which is she lived bravely enough to make this jump over the ocean to come live in Portugal. Enough to make this jump over the ocean to come live in Portugal.
Speaker 2:Sarah, thank you so much for agreeing to do this. Oh, of course, thank you so much, melissa, for having me. I'm very excited to be here.
Speaker 3:I'm excited too, all right. Well, you know you do have to do something to get on the podcast, and that is be crazy enough to pick up your whole life and move it from one continent to another.
Speaker 2:So I don't know, is it crazy or is it brave? I sometimes those overlap.
Speaker 3:That is very true, and you know, I think that we all feel a little crazy when we're taking risks, and there's definitely risk associated with this.
Speaker 2:Or at least people tell you you're crazy, right. The people who would not make those same risks or take those same risks.
Speaker 3:It's interesting that you mentioned that, because in my own journey I had more than one person. I don't want to say try to talk me out of it, but I don't know any other word to use than that Like they were definitely not encouraging.
Speaker 2:So yes, yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think when we take big, big, brave steps, I think that it points out for other people. Think that it points out for other people maybe that that's too big of a step for them or they're worried for us, or you know, they want us to stay safe, so they don't want us to take those big, brave steps and that discouragement comes from their own stuff. And helpful to stay focused on that.
Speaker 3:Very true, yeah, well tell us about your move. So when did you move here and why did you pick Portugal?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like this is a long story, so I'll give you the shortened version. So we ended up officially being Portugal residents in August of 2023. Our journey started way before that, though I think it's easy to see the end result of people's story and think it was just quick and fast, which is never true. So, initially, I would say the beginning started in 2017, when my husband really started saying I want to move out of Colorado. We're both from Colorado. We were born, raised our whole lives there and he started getting the itch to do something new. Move somewhere new yeah, not, you know, get out of the same old, same old. And so we started talking about moving. I love Colorado. If I were still in the United States, I would want to be in Colorado. It's my favorite place.
Speaker 2:So at first, I wasn't really on board, and so we started doing road trips, actually in 2018 or 19. Oh, I should have gotten my years figured out before this. I believe it was 2019. We did a road trip from Colorado all the way up the coast Oregon coast to up to Washington and then across to Montana, and then all the way back down through Colorado. We were really looking at other parts of the United States, where, of course, it was an adventure in and of itself. And then, in 2019, we were supposed to go to the East Coast. No, it was beginning of 2020. And then, of course, we all know what happened there, so that was a little delayed. I think it was 2021. We did the East Coast and, after really exploring every corner of the United States, I just didn't feel called anywhere there, called anywhere there. And so I told my husband if we're going to move, I will move, but I don't want to move anywhere in the US. And so then that began the search for somewhere to move outside of the United States. That included a lot of research, a lot of talking to people, a lot of podcasts maybe like this one to look at where is the best place to go.
Speaker 2:I feel like at this point, I was a lot more focused on trying to find a place that was safer, trying to find a place that was more affordable so we could have a different lifestyle. There were a lot of things that were happening for us in the US that didn't feel good. Things weren't going that well. We were working all the time, we were stressed out, we were very disconnected from each other. I would say we.
Speaker 2:I always I kind of joke and say we got to Portugal like hanging on by a thread, like it was pretty lucky that we made it here because we were in the best spot in our relationship, just because we were so stressed out and so disconnected. So, um, I, once I started really doing the research, a lot of people started mentioning Portugal. It's kind of like you know, when you start looking. It's kind of like you know, when you start looking, when you buy a yellow car, you see all the yellow cars and I just kept hearing Portugal, portugal, over and over and over. And so it really checked all the boxes. I was really worried about weather, what the weather would be like, and so we did a scouting trip.
Speaker 2:We came to visit Portugal in 2022. And, uh, it was me and my husband and my son and we all loved it. It felt, and my husband and my son, and we all loved it. It felt calm. I would say I feel like, um, we were here and it was like we could take a deep breath and, um, you know, nick wasn't totally convinced prior to our trip here that we should move out of the United States.
Speaker 2:To our trip here that we should move out of the United States, but when we came to visit, he was totally on board after that. So we went back to the US and started the visa process, which is not an easy feat it includes its own stress in and of itself but went through the visa process and waited for our visa approval, sold everything we owned almost, I mean 90% and got our visas, packed up, our 15 bags and our dog. And here here we are. Yes, we moved actually to a city in Portugal that we had never been to before, which is another little crazy thing to do because of the school, and so we were stepping into a city that was completely and totally unknown stepping into a city that was completely and totally unknown, and I think, the city that you're in.
Speaker 3:A lot of people move here specifically for the school, because it is a place that's known for having language resources for students that come that don't know Portuguese, but it is a Portuguese speaking school, so they're also learning to speak Portuguese while they're there. Yeah, so break down for us a little bit about what you had to do to prepare for the move.
Speaker 2:I know you mentioned the visa process. What did that look like for the three of you? Well, for us it included. We did hire an immigration attorney for me. Nick was working full time, I was working full time On top, or that I had everything I needed. There's a lot of information out there. There's a lot of ways to get the information on your own, but I also felt like a lot of the information that I got was contradicting and that one person said one thing, another person said another thing, which left me more stressed out. In the end, at one point, nick banned me from Facebook groups because I was so stressed out because nothing was consistent, which is a theme right, we can talk about with Portugal. I feel like that's yeah, nothing seems to be consistent. So we have the help of an attorney, which was nice. We have the help of an attorney, which was nice.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of gathering documents, a lot of legalities. I think we went to the bank three times to make sure our last name was correct on our bank account, that exactly matched our IDs Things that seemed really silly or simple were not necessarily and then going. We applied at the San Francisco location of I don't remember, it's SEF, right, or VSF? Which one is it? I don't know because that was not our process. Okay, I think it was via VSF, and SEF is what turned into IMA.
Speaker 2:Yeah, see, here a lot of the even entities have changed since we applied. So we had to apply in person. So we did a weekend trip to San Francisco to apply in person. So we did a weekend trip to San Francisco, applied and then went back home and just then started selling everything once our applications were in, which is scary. This was a really this was probably the scariest part for us. The scariest period is you're selling everything you own, hoping you're going to get approved for a visa, not knowing for sure, because once you have your visa, you have to be here within I think it's 60 days, or it was 60 days from the time your visa is issued, and so there's a lot you have to do to get ready for when you get your visa. But it's also really taking a leap of faith that you're going to get approved. So that was especially scary for Nick, I think, was giving his notice at work, quitting his job without knowing for sure if we would be coming. So the day you get the visas in the mail is pretty glorious.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 3:I was one of those people who thought that they had everything done, and you're talking about making sure that all the names matched. On my birth certificate it listed my biological father, but I did not have his name on my marriage certificate, and so that became a whole very expensive mess with me getting my residency card. So it doesn't take much to throw something in the cogs and everything's off after that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, my last name is legally hyphenated and in the United States they let me just use one of them all the time. But when I moved here it had to be legally hyphenated on all documents and the documents from the United States had to go back and change all of my last names to be my full legal last name. Yeah, it's fun.
Speaker 3:These are the fun things, yes, yes, that you don't know because it's not your culture and you don't think those things are going to be a big deal. And then, when they are, it's a surprise, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So, oh, go ahead.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, you go ahead.
Speaker 2:Well, I was just going to say the other piece was getting our dog here, which is what I was going to ask about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was another stressful piece because there's a whole process of getting them. They have to be seen by a USDA approved vet within 14 days, I think, of travel, and that vet has to send the paperwork to the USDA to get approval and the USDA then has to send the paperwork back to you before your travel date. And so the day before we left we got the paperwork back from the USDA. So it was one. So I thought we were going to have to cancel our flights because we didn't have the USDA paperwork yet, but luckily it came in at the last minute and we were on the flight with her dog.
Speaker 3:And I do think that's one of the most scary parts is so you have the combination of the two cultures right. One is what I have found in Portugal is that dates I don't want to say they're meaningless, but there's not always the same attention to following them as there is in the United States. So if you have a bill in the United States and it says it's due by such and such date and you don't pay it by that date, somebody gets in contact with you and you're in a little bit of trouble, whereas here, you know, I had certain paperwork that needed to be in by a certain deadline. We also used an attorney, which is the only reason that I did not stroke out while I was having one of these events happen.
Speaker 3:They would say we have to have this by this date. And I'm like, oh my gosh, there's no way we're going to get this done. And my attorney would say but we already talked to them and told them that it's in the process. So if it gets there after this date, they know. And I'm like you know, talking to someone in the United States is not that if it says it's due by this time, it's due by this time.
Speaker 2:So trying to navigate both of those, systems my attorney, because they took so long to answer emails. And you know we come from this culture in the United States, you answer emails on the weekend, on Saturday, sunday, 9pm, it doesn't matter, right, like you're, sadly, which is why we moved away, right, you hear back and it's in a timely manner, but I would email and it would be four or five, six if there was a holiday sometimes 10 days later, and I'm like what is going on? Did you drop the ball, did you forget about me? And the response was always did you drop the ball, did you forget about me? And the response was always no, it's in the process. It's like, essentially, calm down, take a deep breath, it's going to be okay, we're doing our job. So that, I would say, has been a big, that's a big learning curve.
Speaker 3:It really is and you know, and I did my own episode of this and I just talked myself through the questions and one of the things that I said it was kind of like a therapy session, with myself going back and going through the whole process again. But one of the things that I said was part of me struggling with the cultural transition is the inability to be able to predict what's going to happen. So in the United States, in my home culture, I can predict what's going to happen, Maybe not accurately, but pretty closely. If I'm going to the bank, I know what that process looks like. I can anticipate what's going to be asked for and what's going to be needed, and I think that's so hard to do in a new culture as you're learning how they do things.
Speaker 3:Right and it really makes you feel unsettled. Which I guess you are, yeah, yeah. Which I guess you are, yeah, yeah, so would you say. The paperwork piece was the most challenging part of your move here.
Speaker 2:I would say yes. I would say I think the paperwork, but also just the different style. Like you were just saying, if you go to the bank in the United States, you're usually in and out within an hour, right, like, even if you're doing something bigger, like opening a new account or I don't know, doing something that's other than making a deposit. Here it's more like if you're going to the bank to do something, you plan on a lot more time to do that thing, like opening a new account. You could be there for it could take all day. You could have to leave and come back. That's what happened for our friends. It could take a few hours. Yeah, you really don't know. I think doing all of that and navigating the differences while also not knowing the language has definitely been the hardest part for us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know, I had a few doctor's appointments and my husband had to be out of town and I'm not fluent in Portuguese, but I had time to prepare for the appointment but it's so difficult I guess scary I don't know that that's exactly the right word daunting to go in to try to have services done and not be able to speak the language.
Speaker 3:I mean for me the anxiety that ramps up before one of these kinds of appointments, because I'm just. I know I'm going to forget something, I know I'm not going to understand something and I'm so worried I won't be able to communicate and that I will have to walk away without having something completed and have to go through the whole process all over again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes, I agree, even simple things like mailing a letter. I still am trying to figure out how to do that.
Speaker 3:I can't help you because I don't know how to either.
Speaker 2:It's the things that were so simple before. They're not simple anymore, and in some ways, though, I love that because it presents new challenge. It presents new adventure. Yeah, I like the adventure of it, but also it's it's challenging too. I remember the first week we were here, nick and I, standing and looking at the butter for like 20 minutes, not knowing which one's butter, which one's margarine, which you know. Just selecting butter is a brand new experience.
Speaker 3:And it is stimulating to your point. I mean it stimulates all of these areas of your brain as you're learning and everything is is new. But it can also be overstimulating to the point where, like you, you just get to the place where you can't take anything else in. At least I did so. I would go, need to go, look for you know a business, and walk by it three times, not realizing it was the business, because it didn't look like a business, like what I thought it should look like. But also there was all this other stimulus around me that was distracting me from being able to see what it was I really was trying to find and I went back home to the United States to visit my daughters back in October and everyone kept saying what are you looking forward to most?
Speaker 3:Because I hadn't returned to the United States in over two years and most people weirdly think that you're going to go back and want certain foods. But for me, what I wanted was just for things to be easy for a little bit and I did get that. When I went back, everything was easy. Going to the grocery store felt stress-free, you know. Driving a car felt stress-free. Everything was so much more easy.
Speaker 3:I you know and I don't necessarily miss that, but I was looking forward to the ease of my home culture and I got it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we went back in July of last year because her daughter still lives there and I had the opposite of experience. I couldn't wait to come back because it was very interesting. I got off the plane and instantly got a headache, and I had a headache for almost the entire two weeks we were there. I feel like my nervous system is completely different there than it is here, and going to the grocery store is a scary experience for me in the United States, where here, I love going to the grocery store, I love seeing all the new things, and what do I want to try that I've never tried before? And what does this say? Or what does that say? Yeah, it's, uh.
Speaker 3:And then, yeah, the food made me feel terrible, but Well, I was ready to come home too, for speaking to your point, I do have a sense of calm here, but I really enjoy the food here, and I had a hard time eating in the US because everything tasted very different than what I remembered. I was a Starbucks fan. I had a half-calf Americano venti every morning on my way to school, and so I was very excited to go back and have access to that. As much as I wanted, I had one and I couldn't drink it, so it was really surprising to me how my taste buds, I guess, have changed.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, we did the same thing. You couldn't believe how sweet the drinks were Salty, yes, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think there's a lot of. Yeah, I think there's a lot of. I remember when we moved here, we were like, oh my gosh, we have to pack this, we have to pack that because we're not going to be able to get this and you can't get that there. And I see in all the Facebook groups all the time what do you, what should you bring that you can't get there? I would say now, being a year and a half in, there's really nothing that I'm like, oh my gosh, I need to send back to the United States to get this thing because I miss it so much. I feel like you can find most things here and if you can't, you find something that replaces it that you're just as happy, if not happier, with in in the long run where you find that maybe you didn't need that thing to begin with, which I think is a lot of what happened to us.
Speaker 3:So why do you think it is because I felt the same way. I felt like I'm going to move there and I'm not going to have access to all of these things that I have access to in the United States, and I'm just wondering, because we didn't know each other before we moved here. What is it that makes us feel that way?
Speaker 2:I'm going to try not to get too political here, but I won't. I'll stay away from that. I think that to some extent though, as Americans we are told, I know, I was told I live in the best country in the world and no other country is as good as the United States and no other country is as good as the United States and that what other have is the best and that nobody else has, which is absolutely not true. Now, being here and traveling more places, and also I was told that other countries were very dangerous.
Speaker 2:I actually had a retreat here and one of my participants is from the United States and I I got a message saying can you give me some information about Portugal, because my family member is there? They're an ex-military person and they know that the drugs in Portugal are absolutely terrible, terrible. And I had to laugh to myself because I'm like Portugal is the seventh safest country in the entire world. I think the United States is like 162 or something on the list of safest countries. The drugs are worse. I think I haven't experienced drugs here. But there's this misconception, there are a lot of misconceptions, I think that breed fear and that's a. It's a tactic of control to get you, keep you thinking you you're in the best place on earth for whatever purpose that that serves.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was gonna say I do think that I had a bit of a superiority view of being an American. I mean, I just assumed that things were better in a lot of ways there also, and so it's definitely for both of us to have that. It must be a narrative, because I don't think I just came up with that on my own. But so how has the reality of living here been different than what you anticipated?
Speaker 2:That's a really good question.
Speaker 3:The reality so I'll give you an example.
Speaker 2:Before I moved.
Speaker 3:here I kind of simplified and romanticized Portuguese culture. Anybody who asked me, I would say well, one of the things I love is that the Portuguese love children. Well, I have since observed that not all of the Portuguese are super fond of children, you know there was this.
Speaker 3:Camille pushed her cart out in front of this older lady at the grocery store and, boy, if that look could have killed my daughter, would have been dead because that lady was not pleased with her. So they're not all, this culture of grandmas and grandpas embracing every child, and I do think I romanticize that a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I definitely agree with that. I think I romanticized, maybe hoping that racism was different here. I don't think it is. I think it's just well, it's different, but it still exists. A lot of the issues that occur in other parts of the world also occur here. There's not. There's a lot of things that aren't here also. So I do think, though, when, especially, things are in turmoil where you're living, it's easy to romanticize other places. The grass is always greener, and so I think that it's important to know that there are issues here also. It's not a perfect place.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's no utopia Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Did you want to say something about friendships here, because I see that in your answer you don't have to.
Speaker 2:That's something that I have. I didn't anticipate having to navigate um friendships, friendships and recreating your entire support system and structure and um I I didn't realize that it would be more difficult to create friendships with Portuguese people. That's a whole nother topic, I think. I mean there's the language barrier, but there is cultural differences and we've been here a year and a half and I finally have maybe a couple Portugal or Portuguese friends, people from Portugal. Most of my friends are other people from other parts of the world who have also moved here, and it's interesting because I feel like when you first move here, it's a beautiful, amazing thing because everybody is looking for friends.
Speaker 2:One of my biggest things in the United States was, you know, we didn't have a lot of extended family. Our family in the United States was our friends for the most part. I went through periods of my life where I felt really sad and kind of jealous of the people that had really big extended families and moms and dads and grandparents and cousins and they all got together on the holidays and because we just didn't have that and and moving here, you come into this community of people where everyone is looking for because nobody has extended family here that has moved here and so everybody is looking for their family. Essentially they're looking for their support system, that, that, those relationships. And so when I first got here, I had this I had to have a conversation with myself because we moved here to have less on our plate, to have less on the calendar, to not be as busy, but there were so many activities and so many people wanting to go to coffee and do this and this event and that event, and I really have to check myself with FOMO.
Speaker 2:We all do, and not over scheduling myself, but it also. It also creates an interesting dynamic of who am I refiguring out, who you are in these new relationships and in this new environment? New, this new world essentially to you, and sometimes that's difficult, but yeah.
Speaker 3:It definitely can be. Sometimes just the ability to have conversation with someone because you both speak the same language in this setting can make a relationship seem closer than maybe what it really is, because we're all looking for connection and until we can speak the language fluently, it's hard to have connection with someone who you know does speak Portuguese fluently. It presents a challenge for us, for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so what's been the best thing about moving here for you?
Speaker 2:I know I'm more of a rose colored glasses kind of person. There have been challenges, for sure, but for me I think the benefits well outweigh the challenges. The best thing for me has been the complete change in our family dynamic my husband to stay home and be present, much, much more present in our son's life. I mean, he was always working before. He was always gone and, like I said, on the weekends he was working on houses and I was always the one who picked our son up from school, took him to school, was at all the events and sometimes that was by myself.
Speaker 2:And yeah, now we do most things together. We only have one car. We go most places together. There's just a completely different sense of connection here than was even possible in our old lives. I love being able to walk to the grocery store together and just have a chat right, Rather than hey, we're so busy, you run to the grocery store while I do this, and then we'll come back together for 10 minutes and eat while we separate again and go and do our own things.
Speaker 3:I think that Portugal, being a collectivist culture, lends itself to that too, whereas the Whereas the United States is an individualistic culture. So it is very common for family members to be leading parallel lives, doing parallel activities, rather than integrated ones. You definitely don't see that as much. You see whole families doing lots of things together, like going to the grocery store or whatever the thing may be. So I agree with you it is. It is a country that is very much about family, which makes it amazing for those of us that we're looking for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and I can just ever really has before. I think that our you know, our weekends now are not about what are we going to get done, how are we getting the laundry done, the grocery shopping? Our weekends are what new city are we going to drive to this weekend? What are we going to check out? We just went this last weekend up to the mountains and saw the snow, and that's more of the priority, and those are the things that, yeah, we get to do together, experience things together, rather than just try and survive. I feel like that's all we were doing before was trying to survive, trying to pay the next bill, maybe saving up for one vacation a year where we really got to be present together, and the rest of the time was just trying to get through the day.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're living for those moments, right? So, like it's a long time from September to Christmas or Thanksgiving, where you guys actually get four days off together, or three days or whatever it is, that's a long wait. And you don't have to have that here, yeah. Yes. So what do you want listeners to know about moving to Portugal, like if there's like the most important thing for them to know, or what advice would you have for somebody considering this kind of move?
Speaker 2:I would say get really clear on why, really clear on why you're moving to Portugal, really clear on why you're moving to Portugal and also to be really realistic about the things that will be different. I think that the people who struggle the most that I've seen or heard about are the people who move here and they want it to be the same as the United States, and it just absolutely is not. Nor should it be, and it actually I think the more people move here and want to make it the US, the more you take away the Portuguese culture and the things that make it beautiful and amazing here. So there's a lot of people who are frustrated. If you're able to just accept and allow the new experience and the new way of being, it makes things a lot easier.
Speaker 2:I think that the other thing I would say is get out of your comfort zone. Get out of your comfort zone. I think our comfort zone is honestly the human's biggest enemy because it keeps us stuck. It keeps us in places where we're not happy or we feel like we have to be, and it's a big deal. It's a big deal to move here, it's a big deal to take these steps and it's a very, very brave thing to do, and it's also how, how do you know what else is out there, what else you can experience, giving your brain a new frame of reference if you stay inside of your comfort zone? Yeah, yeah, I agree. Yeah, oh, go ahead.
Speaker 3:No, you go ahead. I was just saying I agree with that. So what were you going to say?
Speaker 2:I was just going to say there's also a lot of support. There's a lot of support out there, I think, for people who are considering it, people who you know are in all stages of do I move, do I not move? I'm moving. Now what? Speaking of support, we have support. This is a good time to talk about it. I think this is a great time to talk about it.
Speaker 3:I think this is a great time to talk about it because you know you've been here since August of 2023. I've been here since February of 2023. And after you're here for a bit and you see some of the people, I'm really appreciative that you brought up the people who struggle. We also have a group of face speaking of Facebook groups of people who are moving back, and no shade to those people. If this kind of move isn't for you, that's good for you.
Speaker 3:And saying, hey, I tried it and it wasn't for me, and going back, but I think a lot of that can be avoided by what you just said Finding support, finding community and finding pathways to coming here and kind of doing some processing before you make that decision. So, yes, we do have a little collaborative project going. My podcast is one third of that project. Tell us a little bit about your third, sarah.
Speaker 2:So our project is called Path to Portugal and I think that the premise really behind it is it being a safe place to get support. When I was going through the process, there were a lot of places where you could ask questions but it wasn't safe to ask questions Because you asked a question and then you were bombarded with all of the reasons why you were an idiot for asking that question. I think I cried a couple of times honestly, interacting in some of those groups and getting just so stressed out by the responses, and I think it's really important that there's a safe place to ask the questions and get the support, and it's I mean, that's just who I am. I think providing safe places is really important, but especially geared towards something this big right Like this big of a move, this big of a life change. It's important to have people in your corner who you know aren't going to mock you or make fun of you for asking a question.
Speaker 2:So that's one piece is space for asking questions. Also space for getting connected to other people who you have similarities with or people you really connect with. One of our collaborators, nancy, I actually met her before we even moved here and we really were able to support each other just through WhatsApp, never having met before because we were in the same timeline. She shared a lot of really helpful, useful information with me that I know she's going to share with our group also. So a really great collaborative partnership where we each have really important things to bring to the table.
Speaker 3:And my portion, like I said, is the podcast, but it is also just trying to provide a realistic picture of what this. It's different for all of us and that's why the different stories. You said you look at things through rose colored glasses. I don't think that's true. I think that you have had a good experience and that is what you want to highlight. I think that I had a really hard time with cultural transition, so I kind of highlighted that in my own podcast episode.
Speaker 3:We're going to get everybody's experiences out here so people can can kind of think okay, my personality aligns with this person and this might be something I need to be aware of.
Speaker 3:You know that maybe I do only see the good and and it's hard to see the bad things, which is a good thing, I think. But yeah, I think that a safe space to explore this is needed, and so in the show notes I will have a link directly to Path to Portugal where our listeners can check it out and see if it's a platform that speaks to them. We do plan on having some question and answer sessions periodically where people can come on and talk to you or talk to me or talk to Nancy maybe all three of us and we'll do our best to answer those questions. It's not meant to be professional advice. It is meant to be a community of people who are putting their information out there in the hopes that other people will get to join us in our good experience, or avoid it. Maybe they'll find that it's not for them, and you know, save themselves having to move back.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, yeah, and I think, too, adding a piece where, once people move here that is something I've seen really missing and I think we are planning to add these pieces to our services is, like your, your Portugal welcoming committee, right, like we got here and then it was like, ok, we don't know anyone here, we don't even know what store to go to to buy dishes for our apartment, like the follow up of what do you do when you're here as well. I think that's really helpful and recommendations.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because you don't know you need a good mechanic until you need a good mechanic and then you don't speak the language and it's very frustrating process. So, yeah, we're going to try to add some of those pieces as we go along. You know, hey, this is who I used effectively. And this, this person. Here's their contact.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yes, I'm excited, I think it's it's going to be. Yes, I'm excited, I think it's going to be an amazing place for people.
Speaker 3:I think so too.
Speaker 2:Is there anything else you'd like to share before we say goodbye today? I don't think so. I just think I guess I would say, to live your brave life, and if moving to Portugal is a part of that, then go for it, and we're here to support you. And the most important thing is that each person is living in alignment with their truest selves, and for some of us that means making a big move across the world, and for others it's different, and that's okay too. But it's a matter of finding what fits best for you. And just because someone had a beautiful experience living here or moving here and somebody else had a horrible experience, it doesn't neither one of those, necessarily, is going to mimic your experience either. I think that the only way to know is to experience it yourself and make the choice and the decision for yourself.
Speaker 3:So I will also be linking some information about Sarah's program, living your Brave Life. So thanks, and we will have many more episodes like this. So, sarah, thank you again for coming on.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Melissa. Thank you for doing this and giving people this amazing support and information. I really appreciate you. I appreciate you I appreciate you.
Speaker 3:Today's episode was produced and edited by me. The theme music is the song A Year Ago by Nefex. If you know someone contemplating a move or visit to Portugal, please share this podcast. It's as simple as copying the link you use to access it and sharing it with others you think would benefit from it. You can find Mover Portugal Unpacked on Apple, spotify, amazon, youtube and Buzzsprout at taughtbuzzsproutcom. A final place you can access this podcast is on the Path to Portugal community, located in the School platform that's schoolskoolcom. On this platform you can also access Ask Rudy, a tool to answer your most complex and simple questions about relocating to another country. If you want to understand the move abroad process, simplify the steps for efficiency and save money, ask Rudy. And for those of us wanting this to be part of a bigger life change, the Path to Portugal community also offers the Living Brave program. This is a program offering you the tools to move forward and align your life through brave action, as well as the community support and accountability you've been needing. All links to all platforms can be found in today's show notes and at taughtspotcom. Be sure to comment, like and subscribe.
Speaker 3:Just a gentle reminder Mouverre Portugal Unpacked is for entertainment purposes only. It should not take the place of professional or legal advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own. They reflect nothing more than that. All experiences are expressed through the filter of the individual. And hey, this is Portugal. We can all have very different experiences doing the exact same thing here. So please do your own research and discuss your options with qualified professionals before making this or any other decision. And a final note any opinions or thoughts expressed during this podcast are not meant to malign any group or organization. This is Melissa LaFleur. Thank you for unpacking today's portion of the path to Portugal with me way back a year ago.