I have been wanting to go to Keukenhof since I heard about it a few years ago. I was finally able to book things far enough out that we could go. Keukenhof is amazing and I can’t wait to go back.
Our first time at Keukenhof was on Easter Sunday. We had pre bought the bus/entrance tickets. The bus in Haarlem picks you up at the train station. They have signs telling you where to go and it was easy to find. The busses are supposed to come at scheduled times, but they were always off. The general rule seems to be that when one bus leaves it takes about 30 minutes or so for the next to show up. The bus drops you off right at the entrance to Keukenhof.
I had looked at a map but wasn’t really sure where to go. I had read that the windmill was to the right, so we headed that way. It was super crowded, so we just wandered around a bit. I had really wanted to find the part where you can walk across the water, as I have seen tons of posts about that. We did end up finding it on our first visit.
It was all a bit overwhelming. I knew it was a big place, but it was even bigger than I thought. Everything had long lines, so we mostly just wandered around. We had a free day later in our trip and decided that we wanted to go to Keukenhof again. It was easy to pre buy the tickets for the bus and park again. We went a bit earlier this time (on Easter we went at 10:30 and on our second trip at 9:30) and the bus was completely full, so we had to stand. I thought that the park would be a bit less crowded, but it wasn’t. This time when we went into the park we went left and we saw a bunch of stuff we had missed the first time.
The lines were a bit better, and since it was our last day of the trip I think we just didn’t want to leave. We were both okay with waiting in lines on the second visit. We ended up going up the windmill and we went on a canal cruise of Keukenhof. The second time we ended up staying for over 6 hours because we were waiting for our time on the canal tour. It was a long day at the park, but I feel like we saw a good amount of things. I know we didn’t see 100% but we saw a lot.
Sofia really loved it there, and so did I. One obvious thing I hadn’t considered was the smell. It smelled so good there. They had some decent food options too. Some of it was pretty expensive, but then they also had some snacks and smaller things. Sofia was a big fan of the fries and the ice cream. We both can’t wait to go back to Keukenhof and I’m curious to see how it changes each year.
Sofia and I just got back from our Netherlands trip and it was amazing. I’ll make a separate post about Keukenhof because we went there twice and there are so many pictures. We made Haarlem our home base because of its proximity to Amsterdam and Keukenhof. On our first full day there we went to Keukenhof. The bus picked us up from the Haarlem train station and took us straight to Keukenhof.
HaarlemHaarlem
Our next day was the day trip to Amsterdam. We took the train which was super quick and easy. We walked to the Nemo Science Museum, which is the same one that Leo and I went to a few years ago. Sofia loved it and I had to drag her away after a few hours. After that we wandered around a bit, though we were both exhausted so we didn’t stay long. We did go to a pancake place and got some lunch there. I need a game plan the next time I go to Amsterdam. I have been twice now and both times I went to the museum and then wandered around a little bit, but have been too tired to really explore. And I’m not sure where to go.
The next day we stayed in Haarlem. They have a cat cafe there called Jippies that I had made reservations for. I have been looking at cat cafes for years to bring Sofia to but most have an age requirement of 10 or so. Jippies only requires kids to be 6, so Sofia was able to go. She loved it. The cats didn’t really want to be pet much, but some of them were very playful. Sofia didn’t even care, she was just so excited to be in the presence of cats. Afterwards we walked around Haarlem a bit. I really like Haarlem. It was bigger than I expected. It’s beautiful, and feels much more manageable than Amsterdam. It was less crowded too. Even being there for 5 days I know there is a lot we didn’t see in Haarlem. We easily could have stayed another week.
Jippies Cat Cafe in Haarlem
On our last day we had a free day and Sofia wanted to see the tulips again, so we went back to Keukenhof. I’m glad we did because we saw a lot that we had missed. We also went on a canal tour in Keukenhof.
We both had tons of fun and didn’t want to come back home. The place we stayed at was above a restaurant and the owner’s dog goes to the restaurant most days. He is an English Retriever named Guus. Sofia completely fell in love with him and was so excited to see him everyday. I have never seen her so attached to a dog- she usually prefers cats. Unfortunately Guus wasn’t there our last two days and she was crying when we left because she missed him. She really wants to go back next year to see the tulips, go to the cat cafe, and visit Guus again. I would love to do a repeat of this trip but we would make it longer.
Sofia meeting Guus
When planning this trip I was trying to decide between Leiden and Haarlem and ultimately chose Haarlem because it’s closer to Amsterdam. I would really like to go to Keukenhof again next year and I’ll have to decide if we want to stay in Haarlem again or go to Leiden. We will definitely need a kitchen next time because food there is expensive! The majority of my budget went to food. We never quite adjusted to the scheduling there. Things open much earlier than in Portugal but everything closed up at 6PM. During the day it was really busy and lively, but after 6 it was a lot different.
Every time I go to the Netherlands I really love it there, and this time was no exception. I’m glad Sofia had so much fun too. I think I planned almost the perfect Sofia trip. Next time we just need to stay a bit longer. Usually Sofia starts to get home sick after 5 days and she starts to really miss her cat, but this time she really didn’t want to come home.
I know it has been far too long since I updated the blog. The last few months have been chaotic. This cold and flu season has kicked my butt. In November I got pretty sick. It felt like Covid or the flu, but the tests came back negative so I have no idea what it was. I somehow have still haven’t knowingly had Covid yet. I went to Paris in November on my solo trip, but unfortunately I was really sick. My entire trip consisted of sleeping, going to the corner store to buy a giant water and electrolytes, going back to the apartment, laying in bed all day, and going back to the store when I ran out of water. I did manage to drag myself out of bed long enough to go visit the Eiffel Tower. I was gone a little over two hours and it took everything I had. I’m bummed because I had so many plans and didn’t get to do them. Even being as sick as I was I really loved Paris and can’t wait to go back some day.
In January Leo and I went to Barcelona for a few days. We have passed through Barcelona but never really saw it. I know people love Barcelona, but I have never been super impressed. I wanted to give it a fair chance and I still don’t feel super impressed. I don’t hate it by any means, but I also don’t love it. Though they did have a really cool science museum that Leo and I both enjoyed.
While Leo and I were in Barcelona storm Kristin hit Portugal. Leiria got hit the worst. Kyle’s last text to me one night was that the wind was so strong that he thought it was going to blow the building down. And then I didn’t hear from him for a day or so. The power and internet had gone out country wide one day earlier last year, so I was worried but not too panicked when I didn’t hear from him. I figured the storm must have knocked out power and internet, which it did. It was frustrating because I kept trying to find information on the storm and it just wasn’t being reported on much. Luckily Kyle was able to connect to the cell towers about once a day just to check in. I booked Leo and I a hotel in Lisbon for a few nights since they had power. It was quite the ordeal for Kyle and Sofia to make it to Lisbon. I bought them bus tickets but the bus station was destroyed. Trains weren’t running due to debri. At first the roads were closed, but then they opened up one. All of the gas stations were closed, but luckily our neighbor was able to tell Kyle about one that was open. He went and sat in line for over an hour. The gas light came on and he was genuinely worried that he wouldn’t get gas and would run out before he could even make it home. It was super tense, but luckily he was able to get gas. This was all happening when Leo and I were on the plane home.
Reunited in Lisbon
Even though me and Leo were in Barcelona it was stressful worrying about Kyle and Sofia. They had it worse of course, because they had no power for a few days. We stayed in Lisbon for one night, and then we moved to a house further north. I had to work and didn’t think it would work out so well in the hotel. We found a cute little house with a yard and the kids loved playing in the yard. When the power came back on in Leiria we went back home. The power was still spotty for a few days, but luckily I was still able to work. All of the trees fell by our apartment. Sofia was upset to see so much of the city damaged. Their school was damaged and the roof was ripped off in parts. The school was closed for a few days. Things seem more normal now, but there is still a good amount of visible damage. After Kristin hit two more named storms hit. It was really stressful trying to prepare and keep an eye on things. I think 3 storms hit within 10-14 days. I’m so glad that time is over. We’re a bit worried for fire season as thousands of trees were ripped out due to wind. People are trying to clean them up, but there are so many dead and dying trees all over the place.
I’m sick yet again. I think this makes at least 3-4 times this season. November was the worst and this one is super annoying too. Not as bad as the November one was though. I’m already on day 14 of being sick this go around.
Tomorrow Sofia and I are headed to Lisbon for a night and then on Saturday we’re going to the Netherlands. I keep going back there and I haven’t been in two years, so I’m really excited. I finally get to see the tulips! We have tickets to Keukenhof on Sunday. They say not to go on weekends or holidays, so we decided to go on Easter Sunday, lol. Wish us luck! We are going to spend 5 days there and will take a day trip to Amsterdam as well. I’m excited about that too. I had gone there for a few hours two years ago with Leo, but he wasn’t really in the mood. Sofia will let me walk around a lot and she will love it. She loves big cities. She seems to be very ready for a vacation, so I’m excited for her too. I know the storm stressed her out a lot. She is scared of the dark like me, so the nights without power were hard on her. Especially when the wind picked up. Leo is already asking when our next vacation is.
I already have tickets for my solo trip later this year. I will be going to France. This time to Colmar and Strasbourg. The timbered houses look so cute and I’m excited to see them. I will be flying in and out of Basel and will spend a night there, so I will also get to see a tiny bit of Switzerland. I’m glad I’m finally venturing into France a bit. It’s definitely outside of my comfort zone. So is Germany, which will probably be my next push. I have been really wanting to go to Germany lately. Kyle is planning his solo trip too. He’s going to Vienna again to visit his sister. He will be there in late November, so he will probably get to see some of the Christmas Markets.
The kids’ passports expire early next year, so before we left for Italy I had started getting everything ready to renew their passports. It was easier and more straightforward than I expected. We went to the website to renew passports and followed the instructions for how to renew abroad. There is a list of documents needed, such as birth certificate, passport photos, and proof of payment. They did require everything to be printed on standard American sized paper, which was impossible to find in Portugal. Kyle went to a store and had them cut the paper down to American sized. I’m not sure how picky they would have been at the Embassy if we had the wrong sized paper.
You fill out the regular form and then you have to pay online and bring proof of payment to the appointment. They make everything sound so serious on the website and like you need to have everything completely ready, but that wasn’t the case in reality. They had a photo booth at the embassy that some people were using. People were also paying at their appointment, though they had to go to the same website we went to and show proof of payment.
Sofia turned 7
You have to book an appointment ahead of time. They don’t have a lot of availability, but we were able to get something booked right after we got back from Italy. When you show up at the embassy there is a booth outside. You give them your passport and wait to be called. In the first part you have to wait outside. We waited for less than 10 minutes and then you go through security. On the website it says no electronics are allowed, so we left our phones in the car. The guard told us that since we’re US Citizens we would have been allowed to bring our phones inside with us, but no tablets.
After security we went and waited in a small waiting room upstairs. We took a number and then gave all of our documentation to the person behind the counter. Then we waited. And waited some more. We waited for about 2 hours or so and then they called us up. They just wanted to see all of us and made me and Kyle swear that all of the information was correct. Then they told us that I would get an email once the passports are ready. I got the email a few days ago. It says that we can pick them up without an appointment Monday-Friday between 1:45-3:00PM. So we will be planning a trip to Lisbon soon to go pick up the passports. They’re ready way quicker than I expected. It didn’t even take 4 weeks.
To get the passport for a minor both parents need to be present along with the minor child. When we go pick the passports up only one parent has to be present. Since their current passports are still valid we will need to bring those and relinquish them once we receive the new ones. I always wondered what it would be like to renew a passport abroad and the answer is that it’s really easy. We could have had the passport mailed to us, but getting it mailed to the embassy just seemed like a better idea. Less of a chance of it being lost. Plus we’re always looking for an excuse to go to Lisbon.
We have been back from Italy for a few days now. It was an amazing vacation. We landed in Verona and spent a few days there. We had a lot of fun walking around and exploring the city. We saw the main squares and pedestrian area on the first day, and the second day we went to Giusti Garden and then took the funicular up to Castel San Pietro. We didn’t even see the castle, we just went up there for the views.
Verona
From Verona we took the train to Peschiera Del Garda, and then from there the ferry to Bardolino. We stayed in Bardolino and took a few days trips. We visited Sirmione, Lazise, and Garda. We also spent a day at Movieland Park. We wanted to go to Caneva Aquapark, but we just ran out of energy. I tried to plan lots of breaks for this vacation, but we still got exhausted. The highlight of the trip was definitely the lake- we went swimming almost every day and we already miss the lake.
Public transportation was really easy around the lake. The buses were easy to use, and the ferries were fun. I definitely want to go back one day, but I want to go up north to see Limone and some of the other cities up there. All of the cities around Lake Garda are so beautiful. The food was decent, but we didn’t find enough of the non tourist places.
Overall the trip was amazing. It was a good mix of seeing things and taking breaks. We saw and did a lot, but there is still so much I want to see and do in that area. It was pretty hot while we were there, but luckily our accommodation had a/c, and the heat just made it even better to swim in the lake.
We have only been back for a few days but going on vacation made me remember how much I love going on vacation. So I have already booked too many trips and have to slow down now to save some money. I am going on a solo trip to Paris in November. I think that Sofia will love Paris, so I want to go visit so that I can become a bit familiar with it. Plus Paris has some places that I would love to see without being hurried along by the kids- primarily the Palace of Versailles. I’m pretty excited about the Paris trip.
Bardolino
In late January I am taking Leo to Barcelona for a few days. For some reason I haven’t been as excited about visiting Barcelona, but I figure it’s time to finally see it. I think I have been to Barcelona about 3 times now, but I have never actually seen it. We’re always just passing through. Plus Leo doesn’t like the cold, so that really narrows down the places we can go. It seems like there is enough in Barcelona that Leo will enjoy to keep us busy.
Garda
In April Sofia and I are going to the Netherlands to see the tulips. That is something I have been wanting to do for a long time now, but I keep missing it. This time I was able to book plane tickets and a place to stay before they sell out or become too expensive. We are going to be staying in Haarlem and going to Amsterdam for a day trip, or maybe two. I love the Netherlands and am always excited to go back there. I’m very excited to see the tulip fields and I think Sofia will love them.
Movieland Park
All of these trips are booked, so I’m excited. This year is finally the year we owe a lot in taxes. I kept thinking we would each year, but somehow we didn’t- until this year. Luckily they allow us to make payments, so I am going to be paying off our taxes for 8 months starting in October. So for now I really can’t plan any more trips. You would think that 3 upcoming trips would be enough, but you would be wrong lol. I have thoroughly enjoyed traveling around Europe and getting to see different beautiful places and experiencing the cultures. There are so many places I still want to go.
The kids have another week and a half until they start school, though classes don’t begin until mid September. Leo is excited to go back and see his friends. Hopefully Sofia will make some new friends this year. We know she will be really sad going back and not having her best friend there.
Sirmione
I was able to make a passport appointment for the kids at the US Embassy in Lisbon. We will be going in early September. Unfortunately the latest appointments they have were for 9AM, so we are going to be having a really early day that day. They want everything printed out on American sized paper, which is harder than you would think because we can’t find it anywhere around here. Kyle was able to go to a paper store and they cut it to size. We just need to bring the application, their previous passport, birth certificate, and some pictures to show them aging over the years. Leo looks a lot different than he did when his last passport photo was taken. Kyle found a photo shop and was able to get American sized passport photos taken. All I need to do now is pay online and print the receipt and then I think we are ready to renew their passports.
Lazise
Sofia’s birthday is also coming up next month and she wants a party this year. There is a place nearby that has some outdoor play areas but also has some pools. Sofia really really loves swimming and being in water, so she wants to have her party there. We already put down a deposit to reserve it. I’m more nervous about this party because they don’t do anything- it’s all on us. When we did her 5th birthday party they took care of everything, including food and the cake. We are figuring it out step by step though and hopefully she will love her party.
I know it has been too long since I wrote a post. I have just been working and trying to save some money for our upcoming plans. Classes for Sofia and Leo officially end in a few weeks. School will be open in July, but there won’t be any classes. We will probably send the kids for a few days a week, but they will stay home a lot too. They are required to take an entire month off during the summer, so they are going to take August off.
The kids have adjusted really well to school. Sofia’s Portuguese is great. She has a best friend and those two are joined at the hip. Unfortunately her best friend will be changing schools next year, so that’s going to be tough on Sofia. She says no one else plays with her, but when we pick her up from school she is obviously well liked by lots of her peers, so I wonder if she is ignoring them for her best friend. Leo has adjusted even better than we expected. He has numerous friends in his class. His Portuguese is coming along well. I think that sometimes he doesn’t even realize when someone is speaking Portuguese or English. He will say that he doesn’t speak Portuguese, but then when he is with friends he does speak it. If we ask him how to say a specific word in Portuguese he will say that he doesn’t know, but then he is able to speak to his friends just fine. He’s shier and more introverted than Sofia, so it’s nice to see him doing so well.
Their school is offering a week of fun activities after classes get out. Things like a trip to the beach and other local places. Sofia’s best friend is going, so we signed Sofia up. It will be nice for her to have a last great week with her best friend. I don’t think that we will see her a ton after that. I feel really sad for Sofia and hope she makes some other good friends next year. Her best friend is not Portuguese and I wonder if that is part of what bonded them at the start of the school year.
I wasn’t planning on taking July 4 off of work, but all of my clients canceled that day. I think I will take Sofia out somewhere fun that day. Last year I wished I had gone to more water parks. There is one about 40 minutes away that looks really fun. I’m excited for some of the summer activities this year. I want to visit a few water parks and maybe I can finally try some river swimming. Every year I see a picture of a river swimming spot that I want to visit. I can’t remember the name, but I know there are quite a few in the area. I guess I just want more swimming in my life this summer.
Since the kids will be taking August off each year, we will probably have to start planning our family vacations for August. This year we are headed to Italy. Somehow I stumbled upon Lake Garda when I was looking at potential trips. It looks amazing and I think it might actually be a perfect place to retire one day. We are going to be flying into Verona and then staying in the Lake Garda area. We’re going to visit Gardaland amusement park and a water park over there too. I’ve heard that Italy gets pretty hot in August, but I’m hoping it will be tolerable since we will be in and around water everyday.
I think we might finally try for a US trip next summer. My parents really want to see us. I need to go to Florida at some point for one of my work licenses. I’m really hoping to fit it into our US trip so that I don’t have to go to the US twice next year. I’m trying to plan the trip with non-stop flights and our own layovers. We would fly from Lisbon to Miami, since that is a nonstop flight. Miami doesn’t have nonstop to Portland, Oregon but Orlando does. So we would take the train to Orlando and then fly to Portland. I don’t love Miami, but it would be okay to spend a night or two. Summer in Florida is miserable, so in Orlando we would try to spend some time at some water parks. For the moment it’s just an idea because it’s too far in the future for me to even book flights.
I would love to take one of the kids on a trip during one of their school breaks over the year. The US trip would cost a lot, so I already need to start saving if we’re going to make it happen. We’ll see how things go, but I really want to visit Siam Park in Tenerife and I know Sofia would love that. I really miss getting to travel with her.
The kid’s passports are up for renewal in March of next year. I want to start the process as soon as we get back from Italy. If there is a chance I can take her to Spain in November she might need a new passport since there won’t be 6 months left until it expires and some countries will refuse entry. In order to get their passports in Portugal we have to appear in person at the US embassy in Lisbon. It’s by appointment only. I keep checking to make an appointment, but August isn’t available quite yet, so I’ll keep checking until we get one. So I guess in a few months I’ll have a post about getting a minor’s passport in Portugal.
We were in Viseu a few weeks ago. When we got back Leo got sick and then I got sick right afterwards. I think I’m finally on the mend. It feels like winter has been kicking our butts this year. Poor Leo has been sick more than anyone else.
I first heard of Viseu when some friends we met in Leiria moved there a few years ago. Kyle and I were curious, so we looked into Viseu as a potential place to live. We originally ruled it out because it feels a bit secluded. I don’t love Leiria, but I do love the easy access we have to other places, like Caldas, Obidos, and Nazare. Guimaraes also gives a lot of access to other places, including Braga. So that’s a big negative against Viseu that can be hard to let go of.
Unfortunately it was rainy our first two days there. The first day we got a little bit of a break in the rain, so we went downtown with our friends. There is a nice pedestrian only area and we got to see a bit of it. The second day the forecast was rain all day long and we didn’t want to sit in the hotel, so we drove to Porto. The drive wasn’t bad and we went to a really nice mall there. The kids played for hours in the indoor playgrounds there. The third day there was another break in the weather, so we ventured out a bit more.
Viseu has two malls- one of them is massive and has an ice skating rink and a gym with indoor pools. I thought that I would love that mall and, to be fair, I really didn’t get to see much of it. We went before opening because we were looking for an indoor playground. The mall seemed okay, but I really need to see it when it’s open. I actually liked the second mall a lot, even though people say it’s nothing special. I liked the setting because it’s part indoor, part outdoor, which reminds me of the mall in Aveiro. Plus it’s on a river, so it’s fairly unique.
We went to what I think is the main city park and it was big. There are some hiking trails and there were moments when I felt really alone, even though I knew there were people nearby. It feels really peaceful there and I would love to visit that park again.
One big drawback of Viseu was the driving. People say that drivers in Portugal are aggressive, but luckily that hasn’t really been our experience. Sometimes, sure, but usually it’s on the toll roads or highways. In Viseu they felt a lot more aggressive and it was stressful. I usually enjoy driving, but not in Viseu.
We have managed to narrow down where we want to live to Guimaraes and Viseu. We’re not in a hurry to move, but we also don’t want to stay in Leiria indefinitely. We do really love our apartment here and our landlord, so it makes it hard to move. I know we would love the north though. I love Guimaraes in itself, but I also love the access it gives to so many other places. I love that it’s an easy train or bus ride into Braga. I could definitely see us taking the bus into Braga for some events so we don’t have to try to find parking.
Even though I love Guimaraes, Viseu definitely has some positives. We both agree that it’s a better fit for us than Leiria is. We’re tired of moving and want our next move to be a long term one, so I’m not sure if “better than Leiria” will cut it. The only way to decide is to visit both places. We have only gone to Guimaraes for day trips- we have never stayed the night. When I went to Viseu it was rainy and ugly out, so I didn’t really get to see what it has to offer.
We’re planning on staying at an apartment for a week in each place. Somewhere with a kitchen and hopefully within walking distance of the city center. That’s the only fair way to make a good decision. Sofia’s classes end in the end of June, so I think we are going to try to schedule these trips for 1 week in July and 1 week in August. Lots of things close in August though, so I’m not sure that will work either. We might have to do two one week trips in July.
For now we’re just back to work and back to school- hoping that no one else gets sick this winter.
Every time there is an election there seem to be more Facebook posts about people wanting to leave the country if a certain candidate wins or a certain one loses. Even before social media became what it is today, we used to read quotes from celebrities in magazines expressing the same sentiment. Since the results of this election I have gotten so many messages on Facebook asking how to move to Portugal or what our experience has been like. The first thing I’ll say is that if you want to leave the US you have to look at multiple sources and opinions. Our experience has been great, which I think has been part organization and decent decision making, and part luck.
We moved to Portugal without ever having visited. We did not speak a word of the language and did not know that much about the culture. Every now and then I wonder why some people enjoy living abroad and others move back to their home country. I read a decent amount on expat boards and one complaint I see time and time again is that youtubers and bloggers paint too rosy of a picture and don’t really provide an accurate picture of what life is like. Another pretty common thing I see is that if you are moving to a foreign country to flee yours, it might not work out. Of course there will be exceptions, but in general it seems that to have a chance at flourishing in your new country you need to have an interest in getting to know that country.
When we moved to Portugal there were a number of reasons we did so. One of them was to leave the US and to get away from what it was becoming. I knew that I could not raise kids there. So yes, a part of us wanted to flee. But that was not the main reason. I have always wanted to live abroad and I love traveling. My original plan was to retire abroad, but luckily I got to move abroad much sooner than anticipated. I did not know a lot about the Portuguese culture, but I did know that they truly value family and that the average Portuguese citizen does not own a gun. That was good enough for me. When we moved here I did not want to move to another version of the US. I wanted to get to know Portugal, the language, the traditions, and the people. If your sole reason for moving to a foreign country is to flee the US then it is going to be a bumpy ride. It will probably be a bumpy ride regardless.
I love living in Portugal and I have no regrets. Even so, it’s not a perfect country by any means. No country is going to be perfect. To me it’s all about tradeoffs. Portugal has a lot of abandoned buildings. It’s difficult to find housing. The language is hard to learn. There are many times when we use a translator to translate something and even with the words in English we still can’t understand what the meaning is. When we have to fill out paperwork we always need to translate it, which takes considerably longer. When we help Sofia with her homework we have to use a translator to understand what she needs to do. Even with a translator sometimes we just don’t understand.
Kyle and I were talking yesterday about how Portugal isn’t a convenient country- they are not really into convenience here. Even if something can be done online, it usually has to be printed out and filled out manually and then submitted. This is not our native culture and some things we just don’t understand. We keep trying to learn, but in some ways this does make daily life harder. When you live in your home country there is a certain ease of just understanding- understanding the language, understanding the culture, understanding why. We don’t have that here and we have to think a lot more. Living in a foreign country is more mentally exhausting because day to day life just requires more focus. I have to really focus when people speak to me in Portuguese so that I can hopefully understand enough words to figure out what they’re saying.
But then on the flip side, Portuguese people are generally amazing. When we first moved here, completely overwhelmed and with two little babies Portuguese people always helped us. I have so many memories of carrying strollers up and down stairs and Portuguese people would always grab one of the kid’s hands to help them go up or down the stairs. Portuguese people hate Trump- at least in our experience. This happened more when we first moved here, though I’m sure it will start happening again. When people find out we’re American some Portuguese ask us if we’re Trump supporters. I’m not sure why they ask, but they are always relieved when we vehemently say no. I have no doubt that most Portuguese people are horrified by the results of the US election. I live in a country that despises Donald Trump and I am grateful for that.
I have anxiety and I notice it in Portugal a lot when it comes to walking into a store. I have this anxiety that someone is going to say something to me in Portuguese and I won’t understand them. Sometimes I avoid going into the store because of this anxiety. Sometimes I go in and they don’t say anything. Sometimes they do say something and I understand it. And sometimes I don’t understand. It always turns out okay. It really is no big deal, and yet that specific anxiety is a constant in my life here and it actually impacts decisions that I make. It wasn’t that way in the US because of course I always understood what was said to me. It sounds silly, and in some ways it is, but at the same time that is something that I have had to adjust to that I did not really consider before moving here.
The tradeoff is that my anxiety over school shootings and mass shootings in general has gone down significantly. My kids are in school right now and I have no anxiety that they will die at school today. None. That is absolutely worth feeling some anxiety that I won’t understand what people are saying to me.
I have lived in Portugal for the past 3 years and I don’t know what life is like in the US right now. I know that for most of the people I care about it’s a sad and scary time. I know a lot of people are looking for a way out. I absolutely love living in Portugal, but it took a good amount of work to get here. It took planning and money. And also some luck. If you really are looking to flee the US then think about what you want in the place that you will call home. And then start researching and planning. You won’t be able to leave today, but maybe in a few months or so. Living abroad is hard. I love it and I would do it again and again, but that doesn’t make it the right choice for everyone.
I can become fluent in Portuguese and I can live here for the next 40 years of my life and I will still never fully fit in. I will never be Portuguese. At the same time, I will never fully fit into the US either, even though I spent the first half of my life there. Once I left the country I knew that I would never fully fit in anywhere. I will never be Portuguese, but I will never quite fit in with Americans who have never lived abroad either. Portugal has influenced me too much. I knew this would happen before we moved and I accept all of it. My kids will have a much different upbringing than I did. At this point they have now spent more of their lives in Portugal than in the US. My kids are US citizens by birth, but they will grow up more Portuguese than American. At some point they will have traditions and beliefs that differ than mine because they will be heavily influenced by a culture that I am still learning about.
I’m not trying to talk anyone out of moving. I feel for anyone who feels unsafe where they are. Moving abroad is hard, but if you’re reading this then maybe the thought of staying in the US is harder. Some of the stuff I have been reading today on social media is terrifying. Before we moved to Portugal we looked pretty seriously at moving to Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Spain. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama had pretty easy visa requirements back then. Spain is not difficult either, it just has a higher income requirement. I know there are some American expat communities around France as well. No matter where you go you will need some kind of job, unless you’re retired or independently wealthy of course. It’s always going to be easier if you can bring a job with you. If you want to leave your best bet is to find a virtual job. I know it’s tough to find work in Portugal, and most countries give priority to their citizens over immigrants. So if you’re wanting to leave the first thing you need to figure out is how to earn money.
If you’re looking to move to Portugal specifically then feel free to send me a message. The visa requirements and application process have changed since we moved here, so I won’t be a ton of help with visa info. Go back to my 2021 entries to get an idea for what applying and moving will look like. If you want to meet up with someone for a scouting trip or when you make the move just let me know. It’s about time I push past some of this anxiety and get out there and start socializing and meeting people. And if you’re fleeing the US because of the election results then you are my kind of people.
I can’t remember the exact day we came to Portugal, but it has been 3 years now (give or take a few days)! I remember that on our 1 year anniversary it still felt kind of surreal and at this point I suppose I have accepted that we do actually live in Portugal. We have come a long way and I feel pretty good about things except for our language skills, and that we still have our US driver’s licenses. Now that things are starting to settle down, we will be focusing on those things. We started a Portuguese class a few weeks ago through Portuguese Language Lessons that we are liking so far. It feels nice at least making the effort to learn Portuguese again.
Alcázar
The kids started school last month and they are absolutely thriving. I still can’t believe how much they enjoy school- especially Leo. Sofia has always enjoyed going out and doing things and socializing, but Leo is more of a home body. He absolutely loves going to school though and even has some friends. They started swim class again last week and they’re liking that too. It’s so nice to see them really thriving and enjoying life.
I just got back from Seville, Spain a few days ago. It reminded me of Portugal in some ways- probably mostly because it has a lot of the cobblestone sidewalks like Portugal does instead of the smooth ones that we have seen in other parts of Spain. When we looked at moving to Spain people said that they don’t really speak much English in Spain, which we have found to be true of Barcelona and Valencia- but it’s absolutely not true for Seville. My Spanish is good enough to get by on, but every time I spoke to someone in Seville they almost immediately switched to English. I heard a ton of English speaking tourists there as well.
Plaza España
I like Seville- it has some nice sites and a lot of variety in their restaurants. There is a ton of shopping there as well. I only stayed on one side of the river and it seems like there was stuff to do on the other side as well. It was a good sized city, especially if you’re traveling around on foot. Unfortunately it rained most of the time that I was there, but I came prepared with my umbrella and rain coat. I did get a break in the rain to go see the view from Setas de Sevilla. That was definitely my favorite experience in Seville. The structure was interesting to look at from the ground and the views from the top were great. I have a very strong fear of heights, but I also love views from up high. I almost always have a panic attack when I go up to high places, but it’s worth the view. In this case I didn’t have a panic attack because the structure masks how high up you up. You have to deliberately lean over to look down, which I only did once. So I got to walk around without having that fear constantly triggered, which was a really nice thing, lol.
I forgot the name- this was another palace
My second favorite was Palacio de las Duenas. There is a self-guided audio tour and most of it involves walking around the grounds. They had a beautiful garden there and I really loved walking around there. Traveling alone wasn’t as fun as it used to be. It has been at least 10-15 years since I have gone on a solo trip. I’m glad I went, but it’s just more fun to experience with someone else. Sofia would have enjoyed a lot of what I was doing and I wished she was there with me.
Setas de Sevilla
Every time I leave Portugal I don’t mind coming back. When we lived in the US I never wanted to come home. That applied to everywhere we lived- Colorado, Florida, South Carolina…we would go on vacation and I would get so upset at having to go back home, but now a part of me enjoys coming home. Portugal really feels like home more than anywhere else has in a long time. When we moved here a part of me worried that we would visit Spain and I would like it more. When it was just me, Kyle, and Sofia, we were 100% set on Valencia, Spain. Then I got pregnant with Leo and the income requirements for Spain became higher than I wanted to deal with, so we started to look more seriously at Portugal.
At first it kind of felt like Portugal was our backup choice, though I quickly found things about Portugal I liked. Since moving here Portugal has never been a backup choice. I have been to Spain a handful of times now, and I have even been to Valencia. I don’t dislike Spain, I just like Portugal more for our current stage of life. I even liked Valencia, and there is a ton to do there, but I’m happy we ended up in Portugal. It’s a nice reminder every time I leave how much I love it here.
Palácio de las Dueñas
Speaking of leaving, I’m already working on a few trips. My number one priority is to go to The Netherlands with Sofia next year to see the tulips. Tulips season coincides with Sofia’s Easter break from school, so I really want to make that trip happen. Originally we were planning on going to Disneyland Paris for Christmas this year, but we just can’t make that happen. The only money I will lose is on our plane tickets to Paris because that is all that I paid for so far. Now that I know I have plane tickets to Paris already my brain has been turning and I’m wondering if I can make some kind of trip happen, even if it’s not to Disneyland. We’ll have to see. Work has been really feast or famine lately, and I really want to build up more savings so I’m not so stressed when the famine part hits. But if I can make Paris happen right before Christmas I definitely will. Paris is definitely out of my comfort zone because of the language barrier, but I know I need to visit eventually and Christmas seems like a great time to see Paris.
The kids started school a few weeks ago. They began going to school about a week and a half before classes officially began. That was nice because they got to adjust before having classes and a bunch of extra students. Not all of the students started early, so on the official start day things were much busier. The first day dropping them off was a bit rough because of course they were nervous. Sofia is in first grade and Leo is in pre-school, so they won’t spend time together and will only see each other in passing.
Leo actually loved school right away. At his old school a big complaint of his was that they made him eat soup, so we used to practice how to say “nao, obrigado” but he still complained. Every day we pick him up at the new school he ecstatically tells us that they don’t make him eat the soup. They just take it away and give him chicken instead! He loves his new school and apparently all it took was the option to not eat soup.
Sofia did not like school the first few days. We thought she would have an easier time because her teacher and some of her classmates speak English, whereas Leo’s teacher and classmates do not. Also, Sofia is much more extroverted and loves being around people. For about the first week she had a tough time and didn’t really like school. A few days before classes officially started she began to enjoy it more as she made some friends. Ever since classes began she has really enjoyed it. She loves math class.
Their school offers extracurricular activities, which we’re excited about. Somehow going to school has given the kids even more energy and they’re more crazy than ever when they’re home. So maybe some extra exercise will wear them out. Each of the extracurricular activities take place once per week after school ends and we will pay a monthly charge. We signed Sofia up for dance class, which will cost 22 euro for the month. They have yoga which I really wanted to sign her up for, but it costs 40, which is a bit steep, and the brochure didn’t say which day of the week it is, which we really need to know for planning purposes.
Leo is going to take judo class and that will cost 16 euro. They also have a class about understanding emotions which we really love for Leo, but since he is still learning Portuguese we’re not sure that he would really understand it quite yet. There’s also a chess class, which Sofia would probably enjoy.
You can also sign them up for swim lessons through the school and the school will transport them to swim class, but we decided to just do that on our own. The swim school was closed in August, so we signed them up to begin again in October. This time they will just take classes once a week (for now at least). So they’re already in school 40 hours a week now and come October they will be even busier. They seem to really love their new school, so Kyle and I are obviously really happy about that.
So we have been back to the grind for a bit now. We were planning on going to Disneyland for Christmas, but when I booked it I didn’t know the exact dates of the kid’s Christmas break. It turns out we would be going the week before. Sofia can only miss 10 days of school without a doctor’s note and we don’t want to use up 5 for a vacation, so we’re going to have to skip Disneyland this year. I’m really hoping to take Sofia to the Netherlands in spring to see the tulips, so that will be our next big trip.
In a few weeks I’m taking my solo trip to Seville, Spain. I’m really excited to see the city. It will be weird without kids but will also be nice getting to see palaces and other places on my timeline and without worrying about being too loud. My first day there I’m going on a two hour walking tour. I don’t think I have ever gone on a walking tour. Kyle just got back from his solo trip to Vienna. He had fun, but he ended up missing a connecting flight home so the trip turned out to be a bit longer than expected. But he made it home eventually and I survived almost a week taking care of the kids by myself.
Growing Up Expat 