It’s taken me a while to get chance to sit down and continue this A to Z. I’m starting to think that the entire alphabet is going to last more than a year. That’s something I never could have imagined at the start! Still, it’s a nice project to be getting on with and a bit of motivation to do more than just post photos on Facebook each time we do something fun!
Anyway, I’ve had my P topic for a while. Actually, I had several ideas for my P topic but lately which one to choose has become clearer.
P is for Priorities
In order to make our move to Portugal, we had to take a good look at our priorities.
Our life in England was comfortable. We had modest income (topped up with tax credits) to allow us to be self-employed and spend some time with our boys but we constantly felt restricted. There was little around us locally that inspired us, as a family and it’s no secret that we’d had itchy feet for a long time.
A move abroad, however, would come with huge sacrifices and definitely required us to look long and hard at our priorities.
In the UK, we could live comfortably in our own home and not have any real worries about money. We had our own 3 bed home with large garden in a pretty outlying village. We had a nice, smart, modern car. We could be in full control of our own business. We could visit family and friends whenever we felt like it. We would be in as much control of our lives as is possible to guarantee in this day and age. Despite this, we weren’t settled.
In Portugal, there is always a concern that we won’t make ends meet. We work hard to ensure that our business makes enough money to cover our basic living expenses plus a little extra but, in order to do that, we have had to significantly change the way we work. We’ve had to sub-contract out various parts of our business and rely on others working with us. This is a scary position to be in, I can tell you.
We also now live in rental accommodation, something we’ve never done before. Our housing situation is also a little out of our hands as we are constantly aware that our landlady could decide to sell, if she so wanted (fortunately, she has other, empty properties she could sell first and that’d be difficult enough in a stagnant property market!) We had also had to take in tenants in our UK house and this puts another financial strain on our household. All well and good while the tenants are in but a huge burden should they decide to move on.
We own an old banger of a car. But not a cheap car. Oh no. There is no such thing as a cheap car here in Portugal. We now own the oldest car we’ve ever owned (it’s 15 years old) which cost us the most we’ve ever paid for a vehicle!
We’re now half a day or more from family and UK friends. The boys have lost contact with many of their school friends they grew up with and we’ve all had to find new friends in a foreign land.
Life here isn’t easy, by a long shot. It’s financially unstable and, at time, emotionally draining.
However, at the same time, it is beautiful and full of new opportunities.
Ponta de Piedade
Despite having less money, we are surrounded by things to do.
With the beach just a few minutes walk away, we can visit all year and enjoy the ever-changing scenery it presents us.
A trip to the beach in July
Meia Praia Beach in February!
The boys have both made new friends in school and Eliot, in particular, is happy to find friends where-ever he goes. He can be bossy in TWO languages now!
Boys playing with new friends at the Skate Park, Lagos
We have made some great friends ourselves and now get to spend quality time with them too, often enjoying outdoor visits, picnics, meals and new places together.
Our newly made good pals Dave and Aly (wave, guys!)
As well as making new friends, UK family and friends visit us here which is something that never happens in England!
My little sis on one of her (many!) visits
We get to learn about and share in a new Portuguese way of life, with it traditions and festivals.
Loulé Carnival 2012
And, as the Algarve typically has few weeks of bad weather per year, for 90+% of the year, all this happens in the sun, of course!
Sunrise on Meia Praia Beach
So, yes. We’ve made sacrifices with our move to Portugal.
We’ve sacrificed income, control, our own home, a nice car, ease of communication and having family on our doorstep.
In return, we have beautiful days, fabulous places, great friends and regular visitors.
A fair trade-off? I’d say so.
It’s all about priorities, innit?
It’s a hard life but someone’s gotta do it!
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The Hand Family in Portugal 