June 20th marked 1 full year in Portugal and the time blasted by like a bullet train. Maybe that means we have been having plenty of fun (“day drinking” European style is next level – even our background in emergency services did not prepare us for this), or perhaps we are just oldish now and time keeps moving exponentially faster. Our first year ended up looking a bit different than we anticipated. Pre-move we entertained dreams of flitting around Portugal for a year, coasting into quaint villages with loads of character and falling in love with a specific region of the country that would beg us to relocate. Instead we signed up for intensive language classes that lasted 8 months, hung out in our local cafe, hosted board game nights, ate awesome Portuguese food, met a bunch of people from all over the world, became Benfica fans, fancied up our rooftop terrace, played video games and piano, made a few day trips, problem solved how to live without central heating and air in an ancient house, took a few master classes in patience, and tried to figure out how not to be the worst kind of expats. Our journey has been a bit less glitz and glamor and a bit more practical, but it was personally fulfilling nonetheless.

The best parts of life are the unexpected gems you collect along the way. We have people in our lives who became exuberant cheerleaders for us and our international move, broadcasting their full support and words of encouragement during bumpier times from the sidelines. We have Portuguese neighbors who get quite concerned if we are absent from the cafe for a week – I may have played copious amounts of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as my post language school celebration and not exited the house frequently enough. We have found a pair of Texans who are more adventurous board gaming partners than we could have hoped for. We can have conversations about complicated subjects in Portuguese and understand native speakers much better than we anticipated. We have already had several visits from family and friends to our tiny house in Olhão. We have befriended our language teacher who also happens to be our neighbor, he is our frequent companion to music and cultural events and is a ton of fun.

Andrew and I have had many conversations about how we have gotten here and the yin and yang of decades in high stress careers where seconds felt like hours and now easing into a more leisurely pace where whole days fly by. We keep coming back to the same conclusion that things have worked out as intended, albeit 5 years early (not complaining), and we are exactly where we need to be right now. We have new goals for the coming year: year 2 of language class, travel Portugal – we really mean it this time, make our way to another country or two, host more visits with friends and family, and attend more festivals, concerts, and cultural events. Above all we strive to find joy in the simple things, marinating in the myriad of moments that come our way. My dad truly is a source of inspiration on this topic and he is one of the jolliest guys I know, so I think his philosophy is on point. One year in I can say with a sigh of relief that we made the right decision and feel fortunate and content.