4 ms·
I'm an American and moved from the US to Portugal a year ago, though I still spend a lot of time in the US. Here's what my biggest challenges have been: - Fam
by remyp 3y ago
I'm an American and moved from the US to Portugal a year ago, though I still spend a lot of time in the US. Here's what my biggest challenges have been:
- Family and friends are now an 8 hour flight and 6 time zones away. Staying connected is difficult, particularly given American rat race schedules. I don't have children, so this is a challenge but manageable.
- The visa -- among the easiest to get for Americans with no family ties to Europe -- took 5 months and TONS of paperwork. I had to lease an apartment for an entire year in order to APPLY for the visa. In total, it cost about $40k to get set up there. Most middle-class Americans don't have that laying around.
- The language/culture barrier is real, even in a place with lots of English speakers. I'm diligent about attending lessons and studying, but it takes time. Learning the culture is even harder and I quite regularly make a fool of myself in public.
- Above all, I've gained an appreciation for how optimized for convenience life in the US is. I dry my clothes outdoors on a line just like everyone else. This alone is a nonstarter for most Americans I know.
- p1esk 3y agoWhy did you move there?
- remyp 3y agoLots of reasons, in no particular order: - I've wanted to live in Europe for as long as I can remember. I can apply for a Portuguese passport after 5 years of residency, which unlocks the entire continent. - I'm from Chicago and can no longer handle the 6 months of no sun and debilitating seasonal depression during the winter. - I'm at the age where I'm no longer invincible health-wise and the US system is a comically expensive dumpster fire. The Portuguese health system has problems, but it is unlikely to literally bankrupt me like in the US. - The US has had (on average) multiple mass shootings _per day_ this year [0]. Portugal has had _one_ and is one of the safest countries on the planet. - Cost of living in Portugal (for an American) is low. This allows me to work less and live more. - I'm a guy and I've never fit in to the dominant American (particularly midwestern) macho culture. Expectations for men are different in Portugal and Europe in general, so I'm much more comfortable. - US politics. No further comment. [0] https://abcnews.go.com/US/mass-shootings-days-2023-database-shows/story?id=96609874 https://abcnews.go.com/US/mass-shootings-days-2023-database-...
- p1esk 3y agoInteresting, thank you. How are expectations for men are different in Portugal?
- didip 3y agoDid you go with D7 visa or golden visa?
- remyp 3y agoD7, because I actually want to live in Portugal. That was before the new DN visa, though. I'm told that anyone with active (ie employment) income needs to apply for the nomad visa.