You have questions. I have answers.
Ask me (almost) anything.
Well, I got what I asked for.
In the comment section of my first subscriber feedback survey, I got comments, feedback, and of course, questions. Since the survey was anonymous and I didn’t have any way to address many of those questions or feedback directly, I pondered on how I was going to answer them. So, I decided that the best way to address this was in a blog post. I have edited some of the questions/feedback only for clarity.
Want to ask me (almost) anything? Subscribers can post questions in the comments section below. I’ll do my best to answer all questions.
Here goes…
Question - “My husband and I are in the process of moving to Portugal from California this fall. We are retirees. My husband is a healthy 83 years old, and I’m the energetic 70-year-old wife. We’re excited yet scared to live in a brand-new country without many friends and without knowing much Portuguese. Is there a possibility to be connected with you and your subscribers and have regular meetings?”
CW – This is a great question! No matter how old you are, it’s scary moving to a new country without friends or mastery of the language. But so many others have done this successfully so I’m sure you will be able to as well!
As far as meeting new people, I get asked this question a lot. There are numerous expat groups on Facebook where folks can meet new people at organized events or meetups in many regions of Portugal and I’m happy to refer subscribers to some of those. Just contact me if you’re interested.
And if you happen to live or are visiting the area that Paul and I live in, we’re happy to meet subscribers for coffee or lunch – we often do this.
As far as being connected to my other subscribers and having regular meetings, it’s something I’ve thought about but haven’t really investigated because I’m not sure how that would work. Although Paul and I host private Cocktails and Conversation get-togethers in our home, it’s usually for local expats and Portuguese folks that we’ve already met. I’m open to suggestions, however. If anyone has suggestions or comments, please let me know.
Question - “I’m curious about the mindset distinction between immigrants who successfully adapted to their new life in Portugal versus those who left to move back to their original country or other countries because of frustration with the system, etc.”
CW – Another good question that I don’t think I can definitively answer because the reasons why people move to Portugal and then decide to leave is highly subjective. I can tell you that from personal experience, I have good days and struggle with bad days in Portugal. Sometimes I love it, sometimes, not so much. But I can also reason that if I were back in Arizona, I would also sometimes love it and sometimes, not so much. Wherever you live in the world, you’ll find frustration with the ‘system’ – it’s not unique to Portugal.
Question - “How can (I) find local priced housing?”
CW – This is a question I am frequently asked. I have written a couple of articles about this topic. Part one is here. And part two is here.
Feedback - “(I would like to see) more of a formatted page to find posts.”
CW – On the homepage of the blog there’s a tab in the header for a Table of Contents listed by topic.
Question - “Your writing is just amazing. (I would like to know) more about what you do during the day. At home, nights with no Netflix!”
CW – Since I retired only a month before we moved to Portugal in 2021, I’m still enjoying the fact that I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to work. So, I take my time starting my day, which for me is a nice little luxury.
A typical day includes my doing some writing or research in my writing room while Paul works on his online digital art business for a few hours. At least once a week (but usually more), we go out to lunch either with friends or on our own. This can be anywhere from Lisbon to Cascais. We like to try out new spots.
Some days we just get in the car and do some exploring. Or go to a museum. Or to the beach. Or take a walk along the coastline.
Occasionally, we go out to dinner, but we enjoy cooking at home.
Late afternoon or early evenings when we’re home, we’ll sip some wine, maybe have some popcorn or tapas, and yes, watch a little Netflix!
Feedback - “Be very honest in your evaluations of places you stay and dine. This is what makes your posts valuable and stand out from travel bloggers who get paid to praise. Let experts handle expert topics. Reading is faster than watching you talk to me (videos/podcasts), so please stick to that medium.”
CW – I always try to be honest in evaluating and describing all my experiences that I write about. And yes, I am not compensated, nor do I accept affiliate compensation in most cases. My opinions are strictly my own.
However, I’m not exclusively a travel writer. Many times, I write posts based on topics or questions subscribers have inquired about. If I’m not an expert in the topic, I’ll ask an expert(s).
Some subscribers like to read my posts via email. Others don’t and prefer videos or even podcasts. As I continue to develop Our Portugal Journey, I’ll most likely try different mediums, or offer a variety of mediums to suit a broader range of people. But I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing – that is one of my most favorite things to do.
Feedback - “Now that you’re in Portugal, I’d like to see your research and travel results as you travel to other countries, including the pros and cons of Portugal – how you found your ground/air/bus/train transport, housing things that you selected, things that you did not choose when doing the travel research.”
CW – Most of our travel (so far) has been back to the United States due to family matters (in particular, an elderly parent). But Paul and I are planning to take some trips to other countries starting in the fall and into next year. I appreciate the feedback and will write about those trips and perhaps make some travel comparisons to Portugal.
Feedback - “My husband and I have been coming to Portugal for two or three months every year for the past five years and plan to retire in Portugal. So, it’s extremely interesting to read about your experiences – thank you very much!
Just a sidenote here…I subscribe but I’m not a paid subscriber and a couple of times I’ve tried to buy you a glass of wine (a/k/a Buy me a Coffee) and failed. That service isn’t very user-friendly, but I’ll keep trying to get it right because I do enjoy your posts and I really appreciate the effort you and your husband put into it!”
CW – Hope to see you in Portugal! My blog is free to all subscribers. I have not yet started a paid subscription option which would require more exclusive members-only content that I’m not yet ready to commit to.
If subscribers want to support my work, they can do so here.
Thank you for reading Our Portugal Journey. This blog is a subscriber supported publication but has no paywall – in other words, you can subscribe for free and receive all the content. However, if you find my content valuable, please consider becoming a Supporting Subscriber for a nominal fee either on a monthly or annual basis right here. Just want to buy me a glass of wine? You can do that here.
A special thank you to Anonymous and to Peter B. for supporting Our Portugal Journey through Buy Me a Coffee. I truly appreciate it!
Until next time…
Obrigada!
Carol.
The one question about the difference between people who adapt well to moving to Portugal and people who don’t made me think of a very funny sketch on SNL many years ago. In it, Adam Sandler plays a guy running a travel agency who tells viewers “Remember: you will still be YOU in Italy. I can’t fix that!” Some people will be disappointed wherever they land 😄
Two of these questions really piqued my interest because they are incredibly important and have been addressed by specific resources. The first resource is Deborah Dehab's workshops, such as 'Step Zero'. She is a degreed expert who coaches us on how to--SHOULD WE--make the move to Portugal. The second is ExpaCity, from their weekly free-flowing member chats about everything to their webinars from vetted, qualified experts in all matters related to moving to and living in Portugal. I've helped more than 40,000 people with their moves to Portugal and am convinced that these 2 resources increase their confidence and success.