Phone Service when Moving to Portugal

When moving from the United States to Portugal or any other foreign country, there’s so many things to think about, including setting up phone service. If you’re like the average family in the US, you have some kind of cellphone plan. Whether or not you keep that plan when you come to Portugal is something that you must think about.

Big Mountain, Small World

The name of our mighty undertaking here is Big Mountain, Small World. We were struck by this name, partly because our last name is Kuahiwinui which literally means Big Mountain in Hawaiian. The small world part captures our curiosity about life, human experiences, and the many commonalities we’ve observed during our travels.

Packing for a Cruise and All that Nonsense

Formal nights, really?  You’re killing me Celebrity.  So, it’s true.  We’re headed out on a bucket list kind of adventure.  An 11-night Mediterranean cruise with two of our most favorite people on earth – Maylene’s parents. Exciting, right?  And stressful!  Boy – is it ever stressful!  When you pack for a cruise, not only are…

Adventures in Vivianne

Loading Vivianne with a snow shovel

Admittedly, buying our house has limited our travel of late, but it certainly hasn’t squelched our adventures both grand and not-so-grand!  One of the things we’ve been excited about lately is prepping our flower beds for the warm summer ahead.  We’ve been carefully trimming back the Northwest native plants while laying slaughter to the invaders…

So You Wanna Visit Portland, Huh…?

Cathedral Park under St. Johns Bridge

The Usually-Updated List of Stuff to Do and Places to Eat Now that we’ve been in Portland for three years and bought a house (!), it’s obvious we’re pretty serious about this town. When friends and family ask about our newly-adopted city, we gush about its people, culture, and vibe. Now that we’re getting more…

A Cry from the Middle Class

Our favorite Burlingame political activist has been at it again with eye-catching commentary on life in these United States.  Strategically placed exactly opposite a popular freeway exit in Portland’s high-priced West Hills neighborhood, this graffiti takes direct aim at the squeezing of the middle class in America. Unfortunately the artist believes the concept and truth…