I’ve lived in Lisbon, Portugal for over the past 3 ½ years at the time of writing and publishing this article. As a global traveler, having been to six continents and different countries, I’m accustomed to traveling abroad. However, traveling and moving abroad to live for a significant amount of time are two different things. I’ll cover that in other articles and content.
Moving to Lisbon in June 2019 was the next chapter of my life and the first expat stint of living abroad for a significant length of time. After living in Portugal for 3 ½ years, and throughout the pandemic, has shown me a lot about the country, the citizens, myself, and other expats. I cover this in another blog post, so be sure to check it out HERE.
The cover picture shown in this blog post is a good representation of what I often see during the high season (dry season - April-September) in Lisbon, Portugal and honestly, I absolutely love it! There’s nothing like the peace and tranquility of being by the Tagus River overlooking the 25 De Abril bridge, chilling with not a care in the world. This is one of the many benefits that I get to enjoy living in Portugal.
In 2019, during the honeymoon phase of moving to a new country, I thoroughly enjoyed the rooftop events, expat meetups, going to the beach, eating out every now and then, and hanging out in Barro Alto, Chiado and Principe Real. Of course, throughout the pandemic many of these activities came to a screeching halt as it also did around the rest of the world. However, I was pleased with being in Portugal during the time of the pandemic as it gave me a lot of time of self-reflection, and an opportunity to address some of the things that I wanted to accomplish. This became more of a peaceful, yet enjoyable time in my life other than hearing the news regarding the pandemic.
Nevertheless, I pressed forward and just enjoyed the peacefulness of my life. My first apartment in Lisbon was located north of the city near Colombo Mall and the Benfica Stadium, for those of you who may be familiar with the area. The location of my apartment provided me with everything that I needed from a convenience perspective. The metro train station was at my doorstep; food stores, the hospital, and the largest mall in Portugal were all in a 10-minute walking distance. This was great for me since I did not want to own a car in Lisbon if there was no need, and there wasn’t. For me, it is the simple pleasures of life that I enjoy, and they are often the things that many take for granted.
This is totally different for me, as my past life in the Metro-Atlanta area of the United States required me to have a car. There are rarely sidewalks leading to stores in suburban areas of Atlanta, where I lived. The city itself doesn’t have all the necessities for a true urban life yet, but it’s getting there.
So, for me, a day in the life of an expat which I’ve now become, consisted of the very simple pleasures that were part of my requirements for moving abroad. Living in a safe place, never ever feeling a sense of violence or fear of heinous crimes, fresh groceries within walking distance, mass transit at my doorstep to take me practically anywhere I needed to go in Metro-Lisbon and Bolt or Uber to take me places when mass transit doesn’t meet my needs. Additionally, I get to walk a lot more. Something we Americans need to do a lot more of instead of hopping in the car and bouncing from location to location. Walking around Lisbon and catching the metro and other mass transit is refreshing. That may sound weird to some but coming from a suburban life in Atlanta, it was refreshing. It’s definitely a huge, welcomed difference from burning a lot of gas, paying high car insurance, car maintenance etcetera. This is part of my new expat life and I love it! It’s not to say that I won’t get a car in Portugal in the future if needed, but right now I’m good.
When moving to Lisbon, my cost of living went down tremendously. As I already mentioned with the vehicle costs in the states, that alone was a huge savings to my cost of living. Additionally, food costs, healthcare and accommodations were considerably cheaper than living in the states at the time that I moved to Lisbon. Unfortunately, the cost has gone up tremendously for the housing market for both rentals and purchases. However overall, at the time of writing this article, it is still less expensive to live in Lisbon and other parts of Portugal than it is to live in Metro-Atlanta or most Metropolitan cities in the United States.
So, all of this provided me with a decent quality of life at a lower cost of living which is what I was seeking in addition to other requirements. Does this mean that I have all the amenities, luxuries and privileges that I did in the states? The simple answer is NO. Many of the things that I had in the US were things that I didn’t need. During my time of reflection prior to my decision to establish my expat life, I recognized that I needed to make several changes that would be beneficial to me and that meant getting rid of a lot of “things” that I didn’t need. The materialism and maximalist lifestyle of the US can be very damaging in multiple ways especially when not recognizing what you’re participating in. This was all part of what is perpetuated as the “American Dream” to many but becomes a nightmare to people like me. Please don’t get me wrong, I still like nice things, but I don’t require over-the-top possessions, clothes, and lifestyle. Therefore, I’ve downsized significantly but still have a way to go as I still possess more than I need. Am I trying to become a minimalist? In some regard, “Yes” when it impacts my quality of life. However, I’m not trying to minimize my belongings to a backpack to live out of.
When signing my lease for my first apartment in Lisbon, it was a one-bedroom apartment and was the first time in my life that I’ve ever lived in a one-bedroom apartment. It was all I needed. I did not feel like I was missing out on having several other rooms that I wouldn’t use consistently. My apartment had very little furniture. Only what I needed, nothing more. This aspect of my living situation in Portugal has taught me a lot regarding my needs versus a lot of unnecessary wants.
Since 2021, many people from the US and the UK have been moving to Portugal by the droves. Is there an impact to this? The simple answer is YES. Is it good or bad? I’ll discuss in another post. Now you’ll have to come back to see (See what I did there?).
GLOBETROTTERS AND FUTURE GLOBETROTTERS, LIVE YOUR LIFE AND TROT THIS GLOBE!!!
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