Like a Game of Tetris

Have you ever been on vacation and imagined what life would be like if you lived there all the time? Daydreaming can be romantic, creative, and fun. In reality, immigration to another country requires detailed research, mountains of paperwork, lots of hard physical work, and jumping bureaucratic hoops that are often vague and changing.

We worked for many months to get the right documents ready for our applications for residential visas in Portugal. We had to re-do several documents. One was rejected because the notary stamped over her own signature. That lost us several weeks. Our FBI criminal background reports had to be redone because they expire after several months. Another delay. (But at least there were no black marks on those reports!) The health insurance we bought for Portugal did not cover enough months. So we bought a second plan. But that one did not specifically list Portugal, only Europe, so would not qualify. Finally, we purchased a third policy that we think might be accepted by the Embassy of Portugal. Crossing fingers.

August 31 was our red-letter day when we finally sent our completed application packets (almost 100 pages!) to the Embassy of Portugal in Washington, DC. Approvals can take several months, offering us many opportunities to practice patience and quell doubts about possible rejection. Breathe... Breathe... Breathe...

Meanwhile, we packed some practical items as well as our favorite things to be shipped to our new home in central Portugal. We boxed up cherished art, an antique Turkish rug, camping gear, hand-made ceramic dishes, and so forth. All will be shipped on 2 wood pallets 42 x 42 x 72 inches with cardboard “walls” and “roof." The pallets will reach our new home in about 4 months. More patience required!

We practiced packing in the garage, so when the kits arrived last week, we had a good idea how to arrange everything for safety and good fit. Even with a clear layout, it still took two days to pack the two pallets. It is like a three-dimensional version of Tetris.

Friday we return to Portugal to settle into our 2 bedroom cottage in the rural village of Aljabarrota near Alcobaca. It's a perfect downsize for us with less than half the house space we had in Utah. No heating. No air conditioning. No closets.

We are pleased to have a space to garden. And the climate is perfect! With no bus lines in the village, and almost an hour's walk to stores, we will focus on getting a car right for main grocery runs. We are considering electric-assist bicycles as well as exploring the many walking trails in the area.

Coming soon: Photos of our home and challenges of the move-in. Reflections on leaving our Utah home. Exploring Portugal.

Note: Our US phones will not receive texts in Portugal. Please use WhatApp, Messenger, Skype, or email. We love to hear from our friends!