Selected Works
Carol A. Wilcox is the publisher and writer behind Our Portugal Journey, an independent publication exploring Portugal through slower travel, regional culture, thoughtful living, and reflective storytelling.
Her work focuses on atmosphere, regional identity, everyday life abroad, meaningful travel experiences, and the emotional realities of building a life in another country.
The pieces below represent a curated selection of cultural features, travel essays, hospitality stories, and reflective writing published through Our Portugal Journey.
Cultural Travel & Regional Portugal
When Tourism Puts People First - A reflection on tourism growth, sustainability, and the importance of preserving the human side of Portugal’s smaller regions and communities.
Portugal’s Cork Industry: Nature’s Sustainable Story - An exploration of Portugal’s cork heritage through craftsmanship, sustainability, and regional identity.
Rabelo Boats in the Douro Valley - A feature exploring the history, symbolism, and enduring presence of the traditional boats that shaped the Douro wine trade.
The Village of Cabeça - An exploration of one of Portugal’s mountain villages, slower rhythms, and the atmosphere of rural Central Portugal during the Christmas season.
The Historic Douro Train: A Journey Through Time in Portugal’s Wine Valley – An essay on slow travel along Portugal’s Douro River.
Finding Books in English in Portugal - A thoughtful look at independent bookstores, reading culture, and the quiet role books play in building community abroad.
Lisbon Classical Nights - An atmospheric cultural piece focused on music, setting, and the quieter side of Lisbon after dark.
Reflective Essays & Observations Abroad
Four Years Later: Living in Europe in Uncertain Times - A reflection on uncertainty, belonging, global instability, and the evolving realities of long-term life abroad.
Not Everyone Stays - An essay about friendship, transitions, departures, and the emotional impermanence that often accompanies life abroad.
The Space Between the Days - A deeply personal reflection on emotional exhaustion, adjustment, and the quieter realities of living abroad.
Have a Nice Life - An essay exploring endings, distance, memory, and the shifting nature of relationships over time.
What I Learned from Steve McCurry - A reflection on observation, storytelling, photography, and what it means to truly see people and place.
Beyond “Cheap”: Rethinking Life in Portugal - A piece examining how conversations around Portugal often reduce the country to economics rather than quality of life, rhythm, and meaning.
Video & Visual Storytelling
Our First Year in Portugal - A video recap of the first year in Our Portugal Journey.
Out & About with Carol & Paul
A recurring video series capturing seasonal life, travel observations, landscapes, and everyday moments across Portugal through film, photography, and music.
Featured Episodes:
Algarve & Anniversary
Select Collaborations & Hospitality Features
Our Portugal Journey selectively collaborates with hospitality brands, tourism initiatives, and Portugal-based businesses whose values align with thoughtful travel, cultural storytelling, and editorial independence.
Recent collaborations include:
How Portuguese olive wood brings beauty, sustainability, and everyday ritual into the kitchen - A story-focused collaboration centered on Portuguese craftsmanship and traditional materials.
Learning Portuguese with DailyNata - A reflective piece exploring language learning, everyday persistence, and cultural connection while living abroad.
Tunnel and Taps: Quimera Brewpub Blends Craft Beer and History in Lisbon - A story-driven hospitality feature exploring atmosphere, adaptive reuse, and contemporary food and drink culture inside a restored historic Lisbon setting.
Editorial control and authenticity remain central to all collaborations.
Audience & Reach
3,300+ readers, subscribers and followers
Readers across more than 70 countries
Engaged audience interested in Portugal, slower travel, culture, food and wine, and reflective storytelling
Independent publication established in 2021
Contact
For editorial inquiries, collaborations, podcast invitations, tourism partnerships, or writing opportunities: hello@ourportugaljourney.com