When we moved to Portugal back in August of 2019, we had big dreams. We’d immerse ourselves in Portuguese culture. We’d eat bread and cheese and olive oil and fresh produce. We’d drink good wine. We’d travel Europe, maybe even rent a camper van and do a big summer tour like all the Europeans. We’d […]
Like you, I have been stuck in my house for weeks. We started isolating on March 13, the day the Portuguese government announced that schools would be closed the following Monday. About a week later, the government announced a state of emergency that included forced isolation orders. Which means, in short, that we’re stuck at […]
Photo taken at sunset at a viewing point in Sagres, Portugal. During senior year of my undergrad, I was faced with a decision: do I go straight to graduate school, or do I travel and experience the world? I’d heard of all those Europeans taking “gap years” and wondered if I could do that too. […]
I’m writing this from a café in Praia da Luz, a relaxing coastal city in Portugal’s Algarve. This area of the country is where we’ve chosen to make our home—for now, anyway. And I have to say, this place is as close to paradise as anywhere I’ve been in the world. We’ve lived in three […]
Last year, our family set out on an adventure, leaving our cozy city of Boise, Idaho, and heading into the wide world. We lived in Thailand for a little under a year, but quickly realized it wasn’t a good long-term fit for our family. So we packed our things (again) and moved to Boise for […]
In August, we head to Portugal, and we start over. New city. New school for our kids. New friendships. New doctor, dentist, ophthalmologist, massage therapist. New trails to run, new routes to cycle. New yoga studio. New grocery store, pharmacy, bank, airport. New car and public transit. New house. New favorite restaurants and coffeeshops. Everything […]
These past several months have been a test: of patience, energy, resiliency, and commitment to this location-independent lifestyle. In April, we relocated temporarily from Thailand to our hometown of Boise. Here, we’re awaiting word from the Portuguese consulate. Will they, or won’t they, accept our residency visa application? Only time will tell. Along with the […]
I sit here at a café on my last day in Thailand while our rental car is being cleaned at a shop next door. Yesterday, we moved out of our lovely rented house and into a beach view condo, where we’ll stay until we head to the airport late tomorrow. Tonight, we’ll celebrate with friends […]
This week’s post comes from editor and writer Robin Bethel. Robin is a close friend and colleague, and we’ve worked together on various projects for more than nine years. Here, Robin shares self-editing advice she’s identified from working with dozens of authors (including me!). Whether you write articles or books—or aspire to do so—I hope […]
Moving to Thailand was one of the most difficult things we’ve done as a family. And some of our experiences living here have been harder than we could have imagined. And yet, I am so happy to have gotten to spend this time in the Kingdom. Living in Thailand has caused a mindset shift for […]