Next leg of the journey, May 2022 Portugal

I relocated to Portugal 9 months ago, and boy has it been a journey (pun intended)! Needless to say, the past 2 years have been taxing on all of us, but if there is one silver lining, it would be that many of us stepped back and reevaluated our options. While I’d taken some pretty dramatic steps in the years leading up to 2020, it was never more apparent during that year, that the path of personal growth is never ending. You are never finished growing, changing, reevaluating, adjusting, transforming. The journey really is the destination, to quote Dan Eldon.

I am tremendously grateful for the path that led me to Chicago in summer 2019, as my old historical flat on the lake was a refuge during the pandemic. It gave me the comfort and freedom to rediscover my inherent creativity and allowed me to embark upon the journey of becoming an artist. The tumult of 2020 also forced me to think long and hard about my relationships and from whom I needed more connection, rapport and time. I had lived away from any family for most of my adult life and as I turned 50 in 2020, it felt like I needed to give this area of my life some attention. I inherently knew that I wanted to move back to Europe, so in spring of 2021, as soon as travel restrictions lifted, I began the process of relocating to Portugal, as I have relatives here and nearby in Spain as well.

Nine months in, there are no regrets, although at times it has been challenging, as Portuguese bureaucracy would test the patience of a saint! No place is perfect and adjusting to another culture is no picnic. I still continue to question whether I should have made a wholesale move, rather than doing the 3-months on/3 months-off bit. However, I now have people nearby who are supportive and fun to be around, the weather outside is brilliant, the locals are kind and helpful and I feel safe. I had my very first visitor this month, a dear friend from the Netherlands, with friends from the UK next month and hopefully many more to come. Trying to let go of old standards/expectations and enjoy the journey. Watch this space…