After the 2024 Presidential election in the United States, we received a lot of questions from friends and family about living abroad. I thought it might help to share an email exchange with a friend.
Q: Hey there … You can imagine why I’m writing…
Now that you two have lived there for a few years, how would you describe living in Portugal these days?
A: First, there really aren’t words enough in all the dictionaries in all the languages of the world to describe how all of these feels, so I won’t try. What I can do is focus on the positive and feel better that we are living here now. We understand there is no place in the world far enough away to escape the tentacles of US domestic and foreign policy, but it sure feels better not to be living right inside the heart of it all.
The Heart of Darkness and the Light
The swinging pendulum of fascism is part of the reason we left Portland. Is it pretty scary everywhere? Yep, for sure. Some places more than others.
I do not miss the aggressively threatening trucks, political statements everywhere or the insufferability of it all. I am thankful for fresh, locally grown food, gentler living, better weather and very kind people. The guaranteed healthcare, cheap flights and train travel are also very nice.
Portuguese Worry
As for how the Portuguese people in general feel about the outcome of the election, opinions seem to be mainly disbelief. They are surprised that he could run in the first place given all the felonies and theft of confidential documents. They also seem to express general disappointment in the US overall. Newscasters, public officials, and political commentators wonder how this could have happened. They worry about what it means for Portugal and the rest of the world.
Wild, Wild World
It’s a wild, wild world these days! As a result of this election, we’re going to do the things we need to, even over here, to remain prepared for any eventuality. It’s given us even less conviction in permanence as a state of being. Everything is temporary.
Intentionally Nomadic
If you’re ready to be more nomadic too, you can be in Schengen zone for up to 90 days in any 180 day period on a standard tourist visa. It could be a nice way to spend several months in Europe, several months in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, etc. while still complying with visa requirements. Slow, thoughtful travel seems like a great way to explore the world. We’re looking to do something similar one day.
I’ve recently learned of membership-based websites like Trusted Housesitters who facilitate pet watching in various locales – paid or unpaid. This can be a nice way to save on travel costs and keep busy.
In fact, friends Jedd & Michelle, the Intentional Travelers, will stay at our place for a few months this winter. They will watch our dog while we travel. We want to see how it feels to live in an even lower cost location where limited resources will stretch further.
Light Your Light
Anyway — I know it feels bad right now. I hope you find your light again so you can shine it back onto the rest of the world. Some of us are still gasping and grasping for the light.
I planned to send a direct message, but hey – maybe others would find the info useful!
Are you in a position to help secure citizenship for others who have a parents born in the Azores and documentation? We’d love to pay someone to walk us through the process, but I don’t trust any of the random websites out there and we don’t know Portuguese.
Hopefully we can visit you there one way or another!