# Crazy to want to leave the U.S.?



## BellaLuna

Ola,

Some of my friends are wondering why we're moving to Portugal...they think I'm crazy. I have wanted to come over for a long time and I don't think it's strange to want to live in another country and experience other cultures, which I don't think you can do by just going on vacation. 

Still, every time they start saying things like leaving the United States is crazy and why would anyone want to leave, I start to doubt myself. I realize it's different over there, and I do worry about adjusting, but I hope it will be a good experience. 

I also realize we have almost everything here in The States....way too much stuff if you ask me. Some of it is great and some is totally stupid. And I think what I like is different than most of my friends. For instance, I am not so obsessed with material possessions and always wanting more, more, more. I like a slower pace, and more of a sense of community, togetherness etc. 

One of the things I am most concerned with is being able to keep doing the hobbies I like to do here, which would be acting, painting and now I've started to really like making jewelry.

So, I'm just here venting and looking for words of encouragement. I realize the economic situation is not so great in Portugal right now, like here. I'm aware of the challenges of moving there and finding a job etc. And I hear people frequently complaining about how Portuguese is not so easy to learn. But I'm sure there are so many wonderful things about Portugal that are worth experiencing!

Well, anyway, we are coming in about 2 months! Does anyone else think it's crazy to leave the United States?


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## silvers

It is never crazy to try a new culture. At the very least you will settle your mind. If you don't at least give it a try, you will always be wondering "what if?"
The slower pace of life is guaranteed, the sense of community too. You are right though, learning Portuguese is a must, even if it is just a basic grasp, you need to be able to ask if it is safe to leave your donkey tied to the bar.


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## Bevdeforges

OK, I'm not in Portugal - I'm a bit farther north and east in France - but I left the US and basically never looked back. (Well, maybe for a little while when I was having immigration problems - and now and then you do miss certain aspects of life back there...  )

But the sun doesn't rise and set only over the US. Outside the US you'll find a whole different set of assumptions about life, love and everything. Challenging your "idées fixes" can be a refreshing experience - or for some people just a constant source of aggravation. 

Not everyone who leaves stays away. And of course, you'll want to make return visits to see friends and family. Frankly, I could never go back to living in the US now, but I've known people who couldn't wait to get back "home" after just a few months or years away. (But don't underestimate the re-integration process after time away - even the US changes over time and should you decide to go back, it'll be to a new "foreign" country.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## BellaLuna

*Donkey huh?*

Ha! well I really like donkeys, but they are a bit smelly. I'm trying to make friends in Portugal, so if I show up smelling like a farm animal that might make finding friends harder. I think I will walk or ride the bus.



silvers said:


> It is never crazy to try a new culture. At the very least you will settle your mind. If you don't at least give it a try, you will always be wondering "what if?"
> The slower pace of life is guaranteed, the sense of community too. You are right though, learning Portuguese is a must, even if it is just a basic grasp, you need to be able to ask if it is safe to leave your donkey tied to the bar.


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## Bevdeforges

BellaLuna said:


> Ha! well I really like donkeys, but they are a bit smelly. I'm trying to make friends in Portugal, so if I show up smelling like a farm animal that might make finding friends harder. I think I will walk or ride the bus.


Donkeys are NOT smelly - certainly less so than horses. (I have two donkeys.)

OK, they do like to roll in the dust and the mud, so they are a bit dirty. But except for when they've been eating onion tops or leeks, and have onion breath, they don't smell bad. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## BellaLuna

Well, you learn something new every day. I think donkeys are adorable, and now, since I know that they probably smell better than me on a hot summer day, I can ride one to the bar and the guys won't run away (well not because of the donkey anyhow). Actually I don't drink, so maybe I will have to ride them somewhere else like the market. Cows are smelly though, I've been licked by a few and their breath is baaad...Buffalo too. 

I hear parking in Lagos can be tough...so maybe this donkey thing is a good idea!



Bevdeforges said:


> Donkeys are NOT smelly - certainly less so than horses. (I have two donkeys.)
> 
> OK, they do like to roll in the dust and the mud, so they are a bit dirty. But except for when they've been eating onion tops or leeks, and have onion breath, they don't smell bad.
> Cheers,
> Bev


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## mitz

Hi BellaLuna,

I think you'll love it over here. Good luck.

What happened to Mr.Blueskies posts, I can't believe they would have been deleted for being written in Portuguese on the Portuguese section of this forum.
How are we to further our language skills?


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## Mr.Blueskies

mitz said:


> Hi BellaLuna,
> 
> I think you'll love it over here. Good luck.
> 
> What happened to Mr.Blueskies posts, I can't believe they would have been deleted for being written in Portuguese on the Portuguese section of this forum.
> How are we to further our language skills?





Hi Mitz,

In hindsight, I think that someone took the wrong meaning from what
I said and probably saw it as a racist insult.  I can now see how it may have
looked that way.  The truth is that I was just poking fun at
myself.


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## mitz

Oh. Well if you see it that way then I maybe in the wrong here.
Was it in Portuguese?


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## Mr.Blueskies

Mr.Blueskies said:


> Hi Mitz,
> 
> In hindsight, I think that someone took the wrong meaning from what
> I said and probably saw it as a racist insult.  I can now see how it may have
> looked that way.  The truth is that I was just poking fun at
> myself.







Oh, I see what you mean Mitz. I hadn't copped the reason given.


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## mitz

Unfortunately I never saw your original post so I assumed it had been deleted just because it had been written in Portuguese.

Your up late!


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## Mr.Blueskies

Mr.Blueskies said:


> Oh, I see what you mean Mitz. I hadn't copped the reason given.








Yes, it was written in portuguese and in referance to something that Silvers
had said to BellaLuna ie [is it safe to leave my donkey tied to the bar] I wrote
this in portuguese and then posted a second comment also in portuguese and
supposedly from the portuguese barman who replied "No! piss off you irish git !


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## Mr.Blueskies

I'm a night owl.


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## mitz

Mr.Blueskies said:


> I'm a night owl.


Me Too!

Oh! I see what has happened. Fancy a night owl beer some time?

Or are you a stay at home night owl?


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## Mr.Blueskies

mitz said:


> Me Too!
> 
> Oh! I see what has happened. Fancy a night owl beer some time?
> 
> Or are you a stay at home night owl?






A night owl beer sometime, sounds good. I hope to be moving into our
house in Alcobaca around June time, so this will be a reason to celebrate. I
worked on a night shift for ten years before retiring early in Sept 08. My body
clock has still not fully re-stabilized, hence the nocturnal wanderings persist.


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## mitz

Mr.Blueskies said:


> A night owl beer sometime, sounds good. I hope to be moving into our
> house in Alcobaca around June time, so this will be a reason to celebrate. I
> worked on a night shift for ten years before retiring early in Sept 08. My body
> clock has still not fully re-stabilized, hence the nocturnal wanderings persist(


I understand, my brother did shiftwork for years and kept some strange hours.
I hope the move goes well, just holla if you need a hand with anything.


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## Mamacats

Bella luna,

How's your plans going?
Have you found a donkey


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## BellaLuna

Ola Diane,

We are getting ready, and we are excited! Someone is supposed to look at my car this weekend, and we've been selling or donating a lot of furniture etc. Yes, I've found a donkey here and would like to ship him to Portugal...can you pick him up at the airport? Ha! 

Christina






Mamacats said:


> Bella luna,
> 
> How's your plans going?
> Have you found a donkey


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## palmeiro

Congrats on making the move! I know everyone talks about the bad times and how hard it is to find work. But Portugal is still gorgeous. It's considered crime-free compared to other european countries. People live longer, healthier lives. The food tastes fantastic (fresh fruit, fresh fish). There are so many advantages to being in Portugal, I think the hurdles of finding work is a small sacrifice to pay for what you get in return.

Good luck to you! I also hope to make the move in the next couple of years.


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## ofilha

I do not think you are crazy. Of course, it all depends on how you leave NC. If you do not have some kind of plan for supporting yourself then i would not just leave NC, but it also depends on how willing you are to take risks. Getting a job in Portugal is not easy. My cousin lives there is from there and she had a hard time, but it all depends on lots of things. You can check SAPO: Portugal Online in portuguese for jobs, housing, etc... If you do have a plan or some way to support yourself, then definitely you are not crazy, but if you do not then you are adventurous and i think that's great. Crazy is staying in a rut and doing the same thing over again in the hope that things will change. You are taking control of your life, that's the most sane thing a person can do.


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## rholiday17

*We're Doing it Too! Great idea.*

We're doing it, too! We think it's a great idea. Not crazy at all. Should be a new, cool experience. We're going to Sintra, where do you plan to live?

Rebel




BellaLuna said:


> Ola,
> 
> 
> Some of my friends are wondering why we're moving to Portugal...they think I'm crazy. I have wanted to come over for a long time and I don't think it's strange to want to live in another country and experience other cultures, which I don't think you can do by just going on vacation.
> 
> Still, every time they start saying things like leaving the United States is crazy and why would anyone want to leave, I start to doubt myself. I realize it's different over there, and I do worry about adjusting, but I hope it will be a good experience.
> 
> I also realize we have almost everything here in The States....way too much stuff if you ask me. Some of it is great and some is totally stupid. And I think what I like is different than most of my friends. For instance, I am not so obsessed with material possessions and always wanting more, more, more. I like a slower pace, and more of a sense of community, togetherness etc.
> 
> One of the things I am most concerned with is being able to keep doing the hobbies I like to do here, which would be acting, painting and now I've started to really like making jewelry.
> 
> So, I'm just here venting and looking for words of encouragement. I realize the economic situation is not so great in Portugal right now, like here. I'm aware of the challenges of moving there and finding a job etc. And I hear people frequently complaining about how Portuguese is not so easy to learn. But I'm sure there are so many wonderful things about Portugal that are worth experiencing!
> 
> Well, anyway, we are coming in about 2 months! Does anyone else think it's crazy to leave the United States?


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## BellaLuna

rholiday17 said:


> We're doing it, too! We think it's a great idea. Not crazy at all. Should be a new, cool experience. We're going to Sintra, where do you plan to live?
> 
> Rebel


Thanks for all the encouragement from everyone! 

We will be in Lagos, in the Algarve. 

"Rholiday", when are you planning to move, and who's moving with you? Is your name Rebel? Because that's a cool name! At first I thought you were just advising that I should rebel...which is not a bad idea


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## rholiday17

*Reply*

Thank you. Yes, it is my birth name - Rebel Holiday. They named my brother Yankee.

Moving with my husband and son in June to Sintra area.

Nice to meet you!

Rebel



BellaLuna said:


> Thanks for all the encouragement from everyone!
> 
> We will be in Lagos, in the Algarve.
> 
> "Rholiday", when are you planning to move, and who's moving with you? Is your name Rebel? Because that's a cool name! At first I thought you were just advising that I should rebel...which is not a bad idea


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## mdexpat

Portugal is Europe´s West coast...Don´t forget the Sunscreen


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## Mamacats

Sooooooo true about the sunscreen!
Agrave has a rating of 8 for the UV rays this coming weekend.
Best to start with a 30+ sunscreen and slowly go down to a 10 or 15. 

Have a safe trip and keep in touch.


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## Edxactly

Good luck!!
I know what you mean about people in the US.
I even talk about leaving the North East and people think I'm nuts.
It's amazing. Around me the attitude is "If it ain't new England... It's crap" 
I have grown up here, had my son young so stayed. But now he is in college and I am looking to move, and everyone around me doesn't understand why. 
People baffle me !


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## Zoom

Dear BellaLuna, Bravo, IMHO this is a very smart move. Portugal is beautiful and charming with great people, food, beaches, etc. I live part time in Paris (have been to Portugal many times) and am working on getting out (of America) permanently. America's a crumbling empire, the sooner one gets out the better. You're doing the right thing IMHO and BON VOYAGE !!! You are one lucky woman !! Zoom


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