366 days in Portugal ☀️

Lessons on courage, taking risks and trusting the divine unfolding

As we celebrate our one-year anniversary of living in Lisbon, I can't help but reflect on the rollercoaster ride that brought us here. The decision to uproot our lives in Canada for this adventure felt like a mix of necessity, spontaneity and a sprinkle of chaos.

Leaving the familiar to start fresh in a new country has been both exhilarating and terrifying. But as we navigate the maze of cobblestone streets, I feel a sense of gratitude for the chance to experience a new culture, learn a new language while watching our son surpass at warp speed, and embarrassing ourselves at least once a week. Each day brings something new and unexpected. Cheers to one year down and many more to go in our little corner of Portugal!

Why we left Canada for Portugal

Leaving Canada was a choice rooted in a desire to break free from the relentless grip of hypercapitalism and redefine our concept of success. We yearned for a slower pace of life that prioritizes beauty, family, community, creativity, and presence over traditional markers of achievement like career milestones and material wealth.

We often heard people in Canada pay lip service to the aforementioned values, yet by no fault of their own, the reality of day-to-day life there proved to be in stark contrast. Societal structures and expectations seem to funnel individuals towards a relentless pursuit of wealth accumulation and self-optimization, leaving little room for much else. The constant pressure to climb the career ladder, amass material possessions, and constantly strive for self-improvement, created a frenetic pace that drowned out the whispers of genuine connection, creativity, and presence. It felt like a system designed to keep us chasing after an elusive idea of success, while the deeper, more soulful aspects of life remained at the periphery, waiting to be acknowledged. By stepping off the treadmill, we wanted to embrace a life centered on meaning and purpose, where richness is measured not by possessions, but by the depth of our connections, the joy of creating, and the beauty of simply living in the moment. In pursuing this new chapter, we've discovered fulfillment that transcends the checkboxes of societal expectations, guiding us towards a more authentic way of living.

I get asked a lot how we pulled this off: where we started and how we fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. So for this post, I decided to consult my chief-collaboration-officer AKA my husband, without whom none of this would be possible. If I am the visionary, he is the guy who maps out a feasible route to get there, step-by-step, leaving no stone unturned.

So without further ado, I present to you The Quintessential Quintet for Portugal Prep, otherwise known as Bram’s 5-step plan for moving to Portugal.

1. Establish a legal pathway to immigration

Establishing a legal pathway to immigration is like setting the stage for your expat journey. It involves navigating through visa requirements, paperwork, and legal processes to ensure you have a solid foundation in your new home. It's the first crucial step towards turning your expat dreams into reality, ensuring you have the necessary permissions to build a life in a new country. It’s not sexy, but it’s essential.

2. Figure out how you will support yourself in the new destination

Once the legalities are sorted, the next big task is figuring out how you'll support yourself in the new destination. Whether it's securing a job, setting up your own business, or exploring remote work opportunities, establishing a source of income is key to sustaining your expat life. This step involves understanding the local job market, networking with professionals in your field, and being open to new possibilities and challenges.

My husband and I both work remotely here in Portugal. While he was able to move over from Canada with his previous job, I had to find new employment that would enable us to make the move. This took about two months from the initial job search to landing a new role where I lead marketing and comms for a global non-profit.

3. Finalize a specific location/destination and short-term housing

Choosing the right neighborhood or city that resonates with your lifestyle and preferences is essential for a smooth transition. This one was tricky for us, as we fell in love with so many beautiful coastal towns on our scouting trip. Ultimately, we decided to settle in Lisbon and are loving it, as being in a diverse metropolis has helped us acclimate easier. Most of our favourite beach towns are within an hour’s drive away and accessible on weekends.

Short-term housing provides a temporary base while you explore the area, immerse yourself in the local culture, and hunt for a more permanent home sweet home. It's the starting point for creating a sense of belonging in your new surroundings. Bonus points if you don’t get scammed and actually manage to get your deposit back (unlike us)!

4. Map out practicalities and logistics of the move

Mapping out the practicalities and logistics of the move is where the details come into play. From packing up your belongings to arranging transportation, setting up utilities, and dealing with the nitty-gritty aspects of relocating, this step requires careful planning and organization. Creating a checklist of tasks, setting timelines, and staying on top of deadlines can help streamline the moving process and reduce stress during this transitional period.

For us, this looked like lots of things including enrolling our kid into daycare, hiring an immigration lawyer to help us navigate the notorious bureaucracy, and divesting from everything we owned (I mean it - we moved over with six suitcases and nothing else).

5. Feel the fear and do it anyway

Embracing the unknown, stepping out of your comfort zone, and facing uncertainties head-on can be both daunting and exhilarating.

• What if we can’t build community?

• What if I’m ruining my child’s life?

• What if we feel lonely, isolated and miss our old lives?

These are all valid fears, but feeling them and doing it anyway means acknowledging them and not letting them hold you back from pursuing your hopes and dreams of a better life.

With courage, resilience, and a dash of curiosity, you can make it through the challenges and triumphs, one step at a time.

A word on trusting the unfolding

None of us chooses where to be born and raised. I read something on the internet that said “We just fall out of a vagina in some part of the world and call it home”. That seemed apt.

While I’ve lived in four countries, prior to this move my husband had spent his entire life in Canada. This move was therefore something that he wanted to do, but he had no context for how it would turn out and a lot of valid fears that needed to be worked addressed. I really owe him so much gratitude for taking the leap with me and battling through the fear and unknowns to discover what’s on the other side to build our adventure together. That’s gutsy behaviour.

We don’t know where this journey will take us or how long our chapter here will be, but for now we’re living in the moment. Grato pelas experiências do ano que passou e ansioso por mais momentos bonitos no futuro. ✨