you are right on so many points. i tried to project a future overseas, and the answer i received from the universe was that there were going to be too many complications for us. and yet, those complications exist in our move within the u.s., as well! it comes with age, weather, politics, and health - not in that order. thanks for catching us up, so eloquently, on this topic. and best to you and paul!
Bonnie, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and your kind words.
Paul and I have thought of you and Michael from time to time and wondered how your next chapter was unfolding. What you wrote here really captures one of the truths I’ve been coming to understand: changing location doesn’t remove all of life’s complications. It simply changes the setting in which we face them.
I’m glad you found your way to New Mexico, and I hope this chapter is proving to be a good one for both of you.
Thank you also for your warm wishes for Paul and me. They are very much appreciated. - CW
Lots of issues to consider, especially health care. You are an excellent writer and you have put all of this in a proper perspective. Good luck with your decision.
Kathy, thank you so much for your kind words. You’re right, there are many issues to consider, and healthcare becomes an especially important part of the conversation as we get older.
For now, we’re continuing to think carefully, stay flexible, and take things one step at a time. I really appreciate your encouragement. - CW
Robert, thank you so much. I was especially struck by your final sentence: "Where I started is not where this journey will end." What a wonderful way to express it.
Life has a way of taking us in directions we never expected, and perhaps that's part of the adventure. Thank you for sharing your perspective, and I'm so glad the article resonated with you. - CW
Carol, what an elegantly written piece about a complex topic. I agreed with every word. You can't plan for everything, and yet planning seems to be a piece of the puzzle we can't ignore. Everyone's experience is different. The choices are all valid as to whether to stay or go. I've been pondering how I feel about the change to 10 years, and I really am fine with it. Good things take time, and Portugal has taught me patience. Every day here feels like a gift.
Janelle, thank you so much for your thoughtful words. Coming from a fellow writer and someone who has experienced so many different chapters of life here, they mean a great deal.
I especially loved what you wrote: "Portugal has taught me patience. Every day here feels like a gift." That's a beautiful perspective, and I think it's one of the quiet lessons many of us discover over time.
Thank you for sharing your journey so openly, and for adding such a thoughtful voice to this conversation. - CW
Oh boy! We’ve been here…almost 17 years. We expected to be buried here… but despite me having lived in Italy and thinking I’d met bureaucracy…nothing prepared me for Portugal. I’m almost 72 hubby 3 years older. Some health problems have been taken care of well and more lately…very poorly. Getting help ie gardeners (who know the difference between grass and a tree!) are nigh on impossible to find and expensive. Technicians/engineers to fix air con, the pool, the fridge are all ever more difficult to actually get hold of and do the job! They are all like unicorns’ teeth! After a certain incident 3 years ago we decided we’d had enough. We have had our house on the market for 2 years now without even a visit, once again the three agencies we have used so far have been ..absent ie no calls, no information, can’t get them to answer phones. You’ve been there I’m sure. I speak enough Portuguese to get along, hubby doesn’t as he’s dyslexic which makes languages difficult. Another reason to return home to Scotland… There are few old peoples homes here and the lack now of good consistent healthcare has hammered in a few more nails. I won’t bore you further! I hope you choose the right thing for you both and live happily wherever that is! Btw we are in Amarante, east of Porto.
Susan, thank you for taking the time to share your story so openly. Seventeen years is a long time to build a life somewhere, and I can understand why these decisions carry so much emotion.
One of the reasons I wrote this article is because there are no universal answers. As you said, everyone's experience is different, and each of us has to weigh our own circumstances, priorities, and hopes for the years ahead.
Whatever happens with your house and whatever you ultimately decide, I sincerely hope it brings you both the peace and happiness you're looking for. Thank you for adding your perspective to the conversation. - CW
Carol, this was a wonderful article. So well written too! Your perspective was very helpful to hear. We haven't made the jump yet, but it really helps to remember that even though there are changes happening in Portugal, there will also be changes happening in the US as well. It's easy to forget that. Ironically, it's those changes here in the US that are some of the reasons we are jumping!
The life/cultural things you described in Portugal are the most important things we are looking for: the calm, the healthy life balance, the friendly atmosphere. I'm eager to experience those things. The other stuff - language, bureaucracy, taxes, all of that - we will deal with. Just like we deal with stuff here. (There's always "stuff" to deal with, right?)
Thanks again! I appreciate what you do on your Substack.
Rhetta, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and your kind words.
I smiled when I read, "There's always 'stuff' to deal with." I think that's one of the biggest lessons I've learned over these past five years. Every place has its challenges, but every place also has its joys.
For us, many of the quieter things you mentioned—the slower pace, the sense of balance, and the everyday moments that make up a life, have become some of the greatest rewards of living here.
Wishing you all the best as you prepare for your own adventure, and thank you for being part of the Our Portugal Journey community. - CW
It really sucks about the change to ten years for residency.. But those people can also remember that they at least are not being forcibly removed by thugs in masks after living in a country for decades. 🫤😥
Pamela, thank you for your perspective. I know the recent changes have been disappointing for many people who had hoped to pursue citizenship under the previous timeline.
I appreciate you taking the time to read the article and share your thoughts. - CW
We will have been in Europe for 7 years in September and 6 years in Portugal in October. We love it here. We miss the deadline for citizenship by 4 months, which is unfortunate. We'll likely stay here for the time-being. The medical care here is top-notch, which now, unexpectedly, is very important for us.
Keep those Plan A to Z's on the table. You never know what life has in store for you.
Debbi, thank you for sharing your perspective. Missing the citizenship deadline by just four months must have been disappointing, but I appreciate your balanced outlook.
Your point about healthcare really resonated with me. None of us can predict what lies ahead, and sometimes factors we never expected become some of the most important considerations in deciding where to live.
I also smiled at your "Plan A to Z's." That's probably one of the biggest lessons of living abroad and perhaps of life itself. Thank you for adding your voice to the conversation. - CW
Judy, thank you so much for your comment. That means a lot coming from someone who has known me through so many seasons of life. I think you've summed it up perfectly: live in the present while planning for the future, knowing tomorrow is never promised. I'm so glad this resonated with you. Sending hugs back! - CW
We hit 5 years early this month, and share many of your feelings. We love our quinta, but know that it won't be manageable for us indefinitely, so we'll need to consider where we land "after." But I'm pretty sure it will be in Portugal. The nationality thing was a disappointment for us, but not more than that. I can't say we'll "never" go back, but that choice would be very low on our list. Like you, we have seen that shift from daily survival to long-term questions, but how lucky we are to be able to consider such things.
Grace, thank you for such a thoughtful comment. I smiled when I read your phrase, "from daily survival to long-term questions," because that perfectly captures how this stage feels. The challenges don't disappear, but they do change.
I also understand what you mean about your quinta. Sometimes it's not about whether we love where we live, but whether it will continue to fit the life we want as we get older.
And I think your final thought is perhaps the most important of all—we're fortunate to be in a position where we have the opportunity to consider these questions rather than having the answers decided for us. Thank you for sharing your perspective. - CW
Wow, that really hit home! Now that my daughter has decided to move back to the US from Portugal to get married before they eventually move to the Toronto area, my path is quite clear. Six more years in Portugal accompanied by 2-4 trips per year around Europe, will be followed with a return to Canada (after 52 years!) to be near my daughter and grandkids that she and CJ are planning. I did not know what my future would be like when I moved here. Now I do.
Gregory, thank you for sharing this. I think you've captured something important: sometimes we don't know what the next chapter looks like until life quietly unfolds around us.
Your daughter's plans have given you a new perspective and a new sense of direction. Six more years in Portugal, time to continue exploring Europe, and then returning to Canada to be close to family sounds like a thoughtful path.
One of the things I've learned is that our plans don't have to be permanent. They just have to make sense for the season of life we're in. Wishing you many wonderful European adventures before that next chapter begins! - CW
We have been here since Feburary 2019 so over 7 years now and for us this summer is make or break. In that time we have had a lot of things to deal with. Multiple floods, a forest fire that nearly took our property (and did burn our small, ancient Olive tree orchard). Seismic activity that has cost us quite a bit as well as experience of the healthcare system after an accident caused serious injuries to my partner. Then we had the 'storm' in January and we are in the hardest hit area. I have spent a lot of time this year in repairs and there is more yet to do. I have very mixed feelings. Bureaucracy is certainly not an incentive. I have direct experience of another country that has moved from behind Portugal to well ahead in the last few years, in terms of efficiency. My difficulty in learning the language doesn’t help. I love my home here and many other things about living in Portugal but I do not fancy another Storm. Im already in my sixties I do not relish another round of fixing extensive damage in my seventies and beyond. So, we have a decision to make but are going to take the whole summer to remind ourselves why we are here first.
Matt, thank you for sharing this. After everything you and your partner have been through - floods, fire, seismic damage, serious injury, and then the January storm, I can certainly understand why this summer feels like a make-or-break point.
What you wrote about loving your home here, while also not wanting to face another round of extensive repairs in your seventies and beyond, really captures the difficult reality of this decision. It is not simply about whether we love Portugal. Sometimes it is about whether the life we have built remains sustainable as we get older.
Taking the summer to remind yourselves why you are here sounds like a wise and thoughtful approach. I hope the months ahead bring some clarity, and also a bit of peace after such a difficult stretch. - CW
Carol, what I failed to say in my long diatribe is that like you i am also considering that a change isn't necessarily a permanent thing. I thought it was, when we bought here but I have learned a thing or two since.
I know people now in their 80's who didn't move here until into their 70's and they have discovered they can no longer afford to return home, not to the type of accomodation and area that they wanted. They have a much bigger property than I and spend all day everyday looking after it.
I am now considering that one great adventure doesn't preclude others! Maybe this lifetime purchase will turn into a 10 year sojourn. Perhaps by the end of the year we will have a different perspective.
I wish you well in your thoughts, discoveries and adventures! MJB
Matt, I think you've articulated something I've been gradually coming to realize myself. We often think of these big life decisions as permanent, when perhaps they're better understood as chapters.
I was especially struck by your observation that "one great adventure doesn't preclude others." That's a wonderful way of looking at it. Life has a way of changing our assumptions, and what once felt like a lifetime commitment may simply become one meaningful chapter before another begins.
I hope you enjoy taking the summer to reflect. Whatever you decide by year's end, I'm sure it will be shaped by the experiences you've had rather than by the expectations you arrived with. Wishing you all the best on the journey ahead. - CW
Congratulations on reaching this milestone! Time does move quicker than we realize. September will be 7 years here for us. For me, the most important thing has been flexibility. Adapting to not just a new culture but accepting the frequent changes you mentioned. One positive is that after making this move the next one, if necessary, will be easier.
Thanks for your comment, Alex. And congratulations to you and Gerri as well on closing in on the seven-year mark!
I think you've touched on one of the biggest lessons of living abroad: flexibility. So much changes—not just around us, but within us. The ability to adapt, reassess, and keep an open mind has probably been more valuable than any amount of planning.
I also smiled at your observation that making one international move makes the next one seem a little less daunting. I hadn't thought about it quite that way, but I think there's a lot of truth in it.
Thanks for adding your perspective to the conversation. - CW
you are right on so many points. i tried to project a future overseas, and the answer i received from the universe was that there were going to be too many complications for us. and yet, those complications exist in our move within the u.s., as well! it comes with age, weather, politics, and health - not in that order. thanks for catching us up, so eloquently, on this topic. and best to you and paul!
Bonnie, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and your kind words.
Paul and I have thought of you and Michael from time to time and wondered how your next chapter was unfolding. What you wrote here really captures one of the truths I’ve been coming to understand: changing location doesn’t remove all of life’s complications. It simply changes the setting in which we face them.
I’m glad you found your way to New Mexico, and I hope this chapter is proving to be a good one for both of you.
Thank you also for your warm wishes for Paul and me. They are very much appreciated. - CW
Lots of issues to consider, especially health care. You are an excellent writer and you have put all of this in a proper perspective. Good luck with your decision.
Kathy, thank you so much for your kind words. You’re right, there are many issues to consider, and healthcare becomes an especially important part of the conversation as we get older.
For now, we’re continuing to think carefully, stay flexible, and take things one step at a time. I really appreciate your encouragement. - CW
Love this! It covers most of my feelings when trying to find home. All I know for certain is that where I started is not where this journey will end
Robert, thank you so much. I was especially struck by your final sentence: "Where I started is not where this journey will end." What a wonderful way to express it.
Life has a way of taking us in directions we never expected, and perhaps that's part of the adventure. Thank you for sharing your perspective, and I'm so glad the article resonated with you. - CW
Carol, what an elegantly written piece about a complex topic. I agreed with every word. You can't plan for everything, and yet planning seems to be a piece of the puzzle we can't ignore. Everyone's experience is different. The choices are all valid as to whether to stay or go. I've been pondering how I feel about the change to 10 years, and I really am fine with it. Good things take time, and Portugal has taught me patience. Every day here feels like a gift.
Janelle, thank you so much for your thoughtful words. Coming from a fellow writer and someone who has experienced so many different chapters of life here, they mean a great deal.
I especially loved what you wrote: "Portugal has taught me patience. Every day here feels like a gift." That's a beautiful perspective, and I think it's one of the quiet lessons many of us discover over time.
Thank you for sharing your journey so openly, and for adding such a thoughtful voice to this conversation. - CW
Oh boy! We’ve been here…almost 17 years. We expected to be buried here… but despite me having lived in Italy and thinking I’d met bureaucracy…nothing prepared me for Portugal. I’m almost 72 hubby 3 years older. Some health problems have been taken care of well and more lately…very poorly. Getting help ie gardeners (who know the difference between grass and a tree!) are nigh on impossible to find and expensive. Technicians/engineers to fix air con, the pool, the fridge are all ever more difficult to actually get hold of and do the job! They are all like unicorns’ teeth! After a certain incident 3 years ago we decided we’d had enough. We have had our house on the market for 2 years now without even a visit, once again the three agencies we have used so far have been ..absent ie no calls, no information, can’t get them to answer phones. You’ve been there I’m sure. I speak enough Portuguese to get along, hubby doesn’t as he’s dyslexic which makes languages difficult. Another reason to return home to Scotland… There are few old peoples homes here and the lack now of good consistent healthcare has hammered in a few more nails. I won’t bore you further! I hope you choose the right thing for you both and live happily wherever that is! Btw we are in Amarante, east of Porto.
Susan, thank you for taking the time to share your story so openly. Seventeen years is a long time to build a life somewhere, and I can understand why these decisions carry so much emotion.
One of the reasons I wrote this article is because there are no universal answers. As you said, everyone's experience is different, and each of us has to weigh our own circumstances, priorities, and hopes for the years ahead.
Whatever happens with your house and whatever you ultimately decide, I sincerely hope it brings you both the peace and happiness you're looking for. Thank you for adding your perspective to the conversation. - CW
Carol, this was a wonderful article. So well written too! Your perspective was very helpful to hear. We haven't made the jump yet, but it really helps to remember that even though there are changes happening in Portugal, there will also be changes happening in the US as well. It's easy to forget that. Ironically, it's those changes here in the US that are some of the reasons we are jumping!
The life/cultural things you described in Portugal are the most important things we are looking for: the calm, the healthy life balance, the friendly atmosphere. I'm eager to experience those things. The other stuff - language, bureaucracy, taxes, all of that - we will deal with. Just like we deal with stuff here. (There's always "stuff" to deal with, right?)
Thanks again! I appreciate what you do on your Substack.
Rhetta, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and your kind words.
I smiled when I read, "There's always 'stuff' to deal with." I think that's one of the biggest lessons I've learned over these past five years. Every place has its challenges, but every place also has its joys.
For us, many of the quieter things you mentioned—the slower pace, the sense of balance, and the everyday moments that make up a life, have become some of the greatest rewards of living here.
Wishing you all the best as you prepare for your own adventure, and thank you for being part of the Our Portugal Journey community. - CW
It really sucks about the change to ten years for residency.. But those people can also remember that they at least are not being forcibly removed by thugs in masks after living in a country for decades. 🫤😥
Pamela, thank you for your perspective. I know the recent changes have been disappointing for many people who had hoped to pursue citizenship under the previous timeline.
I appreciate you taking the time to read the article and share your thoughts. - CW
I totally get that it's disappointing. And frustrating. But at least they have the choice of whether they stay or go. ❤️
We will have been in Europe for 7 years in September and 6 years in Portugal in October. We love it here. We miss the deadline for citizenship by 4 months, which is unfortunate. We'll likely stay here for the time-being. The medical care here is top-notch, which now, unexpectedly, is very important for us.
Keep those Plan A to Z's on the table. You never know what life has in store for you.
Debbi, thank you for sharing your perspective. Missing the citizenship deadline by just four months must have been disappointing, but I appreciate your balanced outlook.
Your point about healthcare really resonated with me. None of us can predict what lies ahead, and sometimes factors we never expected become some of the most important considerations in deciding where to live.
I also smiled at your "Plan A to Z's." That's probably one of the biggest lessons of living abroad and perhaps of life itself. Thank you for adding your voice to the conversation. - CW
Loved this article! You nailed it! Live in the present but plan for a future as best you can because tomorrow isn’t promised xoxox
Judy, thank you so much for your comment. That means a lot coming from someone who has known me through so many seasons of life. I think you've summed it up perfectly: live in the present while planning for the future, knowing tomorrow is never promised. I'm so glad this resonated with you. Sending hugs back! - CW
We hit 5 years early this month, and share many of your feelings. We love our quinta, but know that it won't be manageable for us indefinitely, so we'll need to consider where we land "after." But I'm pretty sure it will be in Portugal. The nationality thing was a disappointment for us, but not more than that. I can't say we'll "never" go back, but that choice would be very low on our list. Like you, we have seen that shift from daily survival to long-term questions, but how lucky we are to be able to consider such things.
Grace, thank you for such a thoughtful comment. I smiled when I read your phrase, "from daily survival to long-term questions," because that perfectly captures how this stage feels. The challenges don't disappear, but they do change.
I also understand what you mean about your quinta. Sometimes it's not about whether we love where we live, but whether it will continue to fit the life we want as we get older.
And I think your final thought is perhaps the most important of all—we're fortunate to be in a position where we have the opportunity to consider these questions rather than having the answers decided for us. Thank you for sharing your perspective. - CW
Parabéns!
Muito obrigada, Maria! I truly appreciate your encouragement and your continued support. - CW
Wow, that really hit home! Now that my daughter has decided to move back to the US from Portugal to get married before they eventually move to the Toronto area, my path is quite clear. Six more years in Portugal accompanied by 2-4 trips per year around Europe, will be followed with a return to Canada (after 52 years!) to be near my daughter and grandkids that she and CJ are planning. I did not know what my future would be like when I moved here. Now I do.
Gregory, thank you for sharing this. I think you've captured something important: sometimes we don't know what the next chapter looks like until life quietly unfolds around us.
Your daughter's plans have given you a new perspective and a new sense of direction. Six more years in Portugal, time to continue exploring Europe, and then returning to Canada to be close to family sounds like a thoughtful path.
One of the things I've learned is that our plans don't have to be permanent. They just have to make sense for the season of life we're in. Wishing you many wonderful European adventures before that next chapter begins! - CW
We have been here since Feburary 2019 so over 7 years now and for us this summer is make or break. In that time we have had a lot of things to deal with. Multiple floods, a forest fire that nearly took our property (and did burn our small, ancient Olive tree orchard). Seismic activity that has cost us quite a bit as well as experience of the healthcare system after an accident caused serious injuries to my partner. Then we had the 'storm' in January and we are in the hardest hit area. I have spent a lot of time this year in repairs and there is more yet to do. I have very mixed feelings. Bureaucracy is certainly not an incentive. I have direct experience of another country that has moved from behind Portugal to well ahead in the last few years, in terms of efficiency. My difficulty in learning the language doesn’t help. I love my home here and many other things about living in Portugal but I do not fancy another Storm. Im already in my sixties I do not relish another round of fixing extensive damage in my seventies and beyond. So, we have a decision to make but are going to take the whole summer to remind ourselves why we are here first.
Matt, thank you for sharing this. After everything you and your partner have been through - floods, fire, seismic damage, serious injury, and then the January storm, I can certainly understand why this summer feels like a make-or-break point.
What you wrote about loving your home here, while also not wanting to face another round of extensive repairs in your seventies and beyond, really captures the difficult reality of this decision. It is not simply about whether we love Portugal. Sometimes it is about whether the life we have built remains sustainable as we get older.
Taking the summer to remind yourselves why you are here sounds like a wise and thoughtful approach. I hope the months ahead bring some clarity, and also a bit of peace after such a difficult stretch. - CW
Carol, what I failed to say in my long diatribe is that like you i am also considering that a change isn't necessarily a permanent thing. I thought it was, when we bought here but I have learned a thing or two since.
I know people now in their 80's who didn't move here until into their 70's and they have discovered they can no longer afford to return home, not to the type of accomodation and area that they wanted. They have a much bigger property than I and spend all day everyday looking after it.
I am now considering that one great adventure doesn't preclude others! Maybe this lifetime purchase will turn into a 10 year sojourn. Perhaps by the end of the year we will have a different perspective.
I wish you well in your thoughts, discoveries and adventures! MJB
Matt, I think you've articulated something I've been gradually coming to realize myself. We often think of these big life decisions as permanent, when perhaps they're better understood as chapters.
I was especially struck by your observation that "one great adventure doesn't preclude others." That's a wonderful way of looking at it. Life has a way of changing our assumptions, and what once felt like a lifetime commitment may simply become one meaningful chapter before another begins.
I hope you enjoy taking the summer to reflect. Whatever you decide by year's end, I'm sure it will be shaped by the experiences you've had rather than by the expectations you arrived with. Wishing you all the best on the journey ahead. - CW
Congratulations on reaching this milestone! Time does move quicker than we realize. September will be 7 years here for us. For me, the most important thing has been flexibility. Adapting to not just a new culture but accepting the frequent changes you mentioned. One positive is that after making this move the next one, if necessary, will be easier.
Thanks for your comment, Alex. And congratulations to you and Gerri as well on closing in on the seven-year mark!
I think you've touched on one of the biggest lessons of living abroad: flexibility. So much changes—not just around us, but within us. The ability to adapt, reassess, and keep an open mind has probably been more valuable than any amount of planning.
I also smiled at your observation that making one international move makes the next one seem a little less daunting. I hadn't thought about it quite that way, but I think there's a lot of truth in it.
Thanks for adding your perspective to the conversation. - CW