It's been just over three years since we packed up our lives in South Africa and moved to Portugal.
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In November 2020, during the height of the pandemic, we made a ridiculously quick, life-altering decision that came together faster than we could have imagined.
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Geoff had lost all his Marine Engineering offshore work in Africa due to Covid and inability to travel. Heโd found out there was plenty of work heโd be able to do in Europe.
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He suggested the UK.
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I said, โIโd rather put a gun to my head than live in the UK.โ
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I proposed Spain or Portugal because of the weather, nature, lifestyle, and cost of living - especially since I already spoke Spanish.
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We decided that getting a second passport for Geoff and Luke was also an objective. When we did the research, we found that Portugal has a 5-year path to Citizenship and Spain 11 years. So that was the clincher.
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We decided in early December 2020, and by June 2021 we'd sold everything, packed up, and landed in Portugal with our 15-month-old son.
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It was fast. I didnโt have time to think about it.
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It felt really effortless and easy to get into Portugal despite Covid, so we followed the energy, flow and ease - a principle I live by and teach.
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Because I love to live an eternal summer, I also held the intention of spending a few summer months in South Africa each year.
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Many of my friends were surprised by our decision, particularly the speed with which we did it. Because of the speed, I had no time to think about or plan things properly. (Which was both a benefit and a disadvantage.)
As I reflect on these past 3.3 years, I canโt help but wish I could send my current self back in time to share these 17 insights:
๐ ๐. ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐
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โIโm a Great Traveller. It will be a super adventure,โ I naively thought before I left South Africa.
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Living in a Different Country (or city) is entirely different from going on holiday or travelling somewhere new.
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The demands of setting up a life, the admin around it, meeting new people, and making new friends require deep energy reserves.
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๐ ๐. ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐. (x10 if you do it in a language you donโt understand or speak).
For example: Supermarkets are set up differently in different countries. The aisles are arranged strangely, products are packaged differently, and many brands are foreign.
What used to be a 20-minute grocery shop in your home country will become a 60-minute shop.
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๐ ๐. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐.
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In your first year (or even two), donโt think about signing up for courses, doing side projects or even scheduling holidays.
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Donโt add MORE to your plate. Rather take things off your plate.
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๐ ๐. ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญโ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ.
We brought very little over. We sold most of it in South Africa. Geoff and I are not attached to โstuffโ, so we thought it wouldnโt be an issue.
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I donโt wish we'd brought furniture, but I do wish Iโd brought my bed linen.
Iโm so pleased I brought all my pictures, they are unexpectedly soothing.
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๐ ๐. ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ.
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If you need to pay them, do it. It is worth every cent.
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๐ ๐. ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ.
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Sign up for a weekly activity where youโll meet other people, see them regularly and have a rhythm of connecting with them.
Go to a weekly Yoga class, Art class, Walking group, Church or Dancing. Physical contact with people is vital. Virtual doesnโt cut it.
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๐ ๐. ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ, ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ and make friends with people living in the same area as you.
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The same country doesnโt count. The same town or suburb is ideal.
This groundwork will make your arrival feel so much warmer.
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๐ ๐. ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ โ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ (that you may not even realise you have).
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Note down everyone who supports you and their roles, from emotional allies to practical helpers.
Order that list in priority, from "MOST supportive" and "Must Have" to least.
When you arrive in your new city or country, set up your top 5 support structures within the first 3 months.
For example, in South Africa, I went to my energy healer every 2 weeks for a 90-minute massage and woo-woo energy healing session. I didn't realise how invaluable the support was until I found someone similar here 3 months ago.
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๐ 9. When you meet people โ ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ, ๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ซ.
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Finding each of these will be more of a celebration than you can fathom right now.
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๐ ๐๐. ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก - ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฉ.
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Do them regularly and Keep adding to that list as you discover more.
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๐ ๐๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ to the ones your body has developed immunity to over a lifetime.
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In the first few years, you may be sick often. And the symptoms may be more severe than youโre accustomed to.
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๐ ๐๐. ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ before youโre ill and feeling terrible and then need to navigate it while feeling grotty. Have a new friend in your new city who you can call on to help you when you are ill.
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๐ 13. If you have children, ๐ฌ๐๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ซ๐/ ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ for the first 3 to 12 months when you arrive.
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Emotional ups and downs are normal during such a big transition, so having extra support, even just for a few hours, is invaluable.
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๐ ๐๐. ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ โ๐๐๐๐โ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ you meet to see if you can be friends. Invite them for coffee. If you like them, set up a regular weekly experience you can do together to build your friendship.
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๐ ๐๐. ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐. Some days will be joyous, and others will be challenging. Youโll possibly be way more emotional than usual.
The challenging days do not mean you have made the wrong decision. They tell you you're being stretched way beyond your comfort zone.
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๐ ๐๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ, ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ. Instead of getting dismayed, throw your hands up and say, โHow Fascinating!โ
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Laughing at the bumps will make the ride smoother.
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๐ ๐๐. ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก โ get enough sleep, exercise and eat well.
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Youโll need every ounce of your energy and nervous system stability. Thus, the more you can replenish and nourish yourself, the easier it will be.
Moving to Portugal has been a journey of profound growth and self-discovery beyond my comfort zone. (On challenging days, a part of me deeply longs for that old comfort zone.)
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The overarching theme has been, โWho am I, and what am I capable of when faced with the unfamiliar?โ
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Iโve been teaching my students for almost 2 decades:
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โ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ข๐, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐.โ
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This experience has been a self-created test to keep applying the tools I teach my studentsโฆ
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โฆ ease, wellbeing, flow, vision, magic, working with money, manifesting, alignment, abundanceโฆ
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โฆ to turn all the challenges from roadblocks into stepping-stones to a more vibrant, authentic and abundant version of myself.
