A Lot Can Happen in 4 Years
Even when a pandemic tries to eff it all up
Hi friends and family!
I know, it hasn’t even been a week since my last email, but I’m off to Greece until mid-May, so you might not hear from me for a bit. You can always follow me on Instagram if you get withdrawals or simply want to keep tabs...
What’s on this week?
A lot can happen in 4 years
Portuguese Independence Day
Quick hits
Let’s get it on!
A lot can happen in 4 years
April 25th marked two major anniversaries in Portugal, one for us, and one for everyone else. Ours first!
Four years ago, on April 25th, 2019, we landed in Portugal for the very first time as part of our around-the-world sabbatical trip.
We split 8 days between Lisbon and Porto doing all the tourist things. While we enjoyed the country, it didn’t grab hold of us in any specific way, especially not to the degree that we would see ourselves living here someday. Little did we know…
When we arrived back in the USA that October and began processing the idea of settling back into our lives, we decided that we wanted to live abroad, and sat down to plot out what we’d need to do to make that happen.
Our plan was to move fairly fast - put our heads down, work, earn, and save, but also start figuring out how to untangle our lives from the roots we had put down over the years in Portland - houses, cars, businesses, stuff, etc… We had a deadline of about a year (January 2021) when we wanted to be embarking on our next journey.
The initial idea was to spend another year abroad, specifically in South America – living in a van, overlanding around the continent. Part of the mission was to scout places like Uraguay for a potential move. We also figured we could do it fairly inexpensively. After this year, we would start the residency process somewhere, probably in Europe.
Covid changed all that, but in a good way. With South American borders still closed in late 2021, we made the tough decision to flip the script and work toward residency first. So much of the visa process involves waiting, it just fits well with lockdowns.
It also gave us another year to work, save, and more comfortably extricate ourselves from the ties that bound us to Portland. Less ripping-the-bandaid, more gentle and thoughtful processes. We didn’t want to flip a table on anyone.
It took us close to a full year from starting the process to meeting with SEF and getting our residency approved. And it took focused effort for a couple of years before that to really make it all happen. It was a monumental effort, but we took everything one step at a time.
Now that we’re here, it seems inconceivable that we have completely shifted the trajectory of our lives in three and a half years. But it’s a testament to the idea that if you break any task into digestible bits and work the problem, impossibly big, complex things become conquerable.
Also, the longer you wait to take that first step, the further away the eventual payout.
The Carnation Revolution
I might be reading way too much into it, but I see a small connection between arriving in Portugal on April 25th, the anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, and then instigating a revolution against our own lives and ending up right back here again a few years later.
In 1974, only 2 years before I was born, the Portuguese decided that they’d had quite enough of the flagging dictatorship that had ruled since 1933. Over the course of about 48 hours, the Carnation Revolution took place.
It was a (mostly) bloodless coup, signaled by the singing of some specific songs and marked by people putting red carnations in the barrels of their guns.
The revolution ended colonial wars and set off a wave of independence for pretty much all of the remaining colonies in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. So, good stuff. I won’t bore you with more details - read the Wiki article linked above for more.
Most of the country shuts down on this day. It’s very much like the 4th of July in the USA (also a meaningful day for us, as it’s our wedding anniversary), including parades, concerts, and fireworks shows.
It’s really interesting to be in a place where democracy is so young. The older folks we see walking the streets lived under a dictatorship and, for them, the lessons of authoritarianism are still fresh. It’s powerful.
It’s also impressive to see that it’s possible to make real change happen, including a whole revolution, without spilling a ton of blood. We saw it in Estonia too, when we celebrated the anniversary of their singing revolution. It’s something to be very proud of, and the Portuguese are deservedly so.
Quick Hits
I got my wrist brace off this week. After a short four weeks, it’s back in action. My knee is on the mend too. I just got an MRI on it to make sure that there aren’t any lurking tears in the ligaments or cartilage in there. I’m able to do modified workouts again. Also just in time for my upcoming travel.
Banguela got adopted! She’s the little, angry black kitten that we fostered and helped socialize. Now we just need to get someone to adopt sweet Pandinha. I’m sure we’ll be fostering again once we return from our travels.
Hilary hosted her first community event for the Vegan and Plant-Based Porto Facebook group she runs. It was a success (of course) and she’s already planning a potluck in the park on our return.
I hope you all enjoy the next couple of weeks! Keep me posted on what you’re up to!
This week’s music is something a little more on the abstract side. Beat-driven, avant-garde funk dished out in quick hits. Otis McDonald cranks out funk tracks like crazy, and here are a few of my faves.
Very unfair to make a grand announcement and give us no details on your Greece plans. Very very curious.
So glad you’ve healed! More adventures ahead! Safe travels. We are back in Portland trying to recover our good health. Xo