Weeeeeee'rreeee baaaaaaccckkkkkk. Or, actually, we made it!

I hate this about myself. I've kept journals, especially travel journals for a long, long time. But I always weary of it and stop. Then there are tons of things that I forget. The last time I wrote a blog post on here was in 2022. Sheesh.

Today is January 6, 2025. 2025. We left the US on December 6, 2024, so we've been here just at a month. Here? Where's here? Scott and I came on another scouting trip for 2 weeks in late January/early February of 2024. I again hired Portugal the Place to take us around and show us towns in the Algarve we might like. I was reasonably set on Olhão. Faro is right next door and Scott liked the more industrial feel and potential of Faro (for his electric trike project), so we're here. In Faro. Our guide was John DaGloria. John is Portuguese Canadian. So his English and most of his understanding of US culture are dead on, and, of course, he's fluent in Portuguese and has lived here on and off for years. On our scouting trip, after Scott told him about the trike, John took us over to the University of the Algarve, which is in Faro, and introduced him to a couple of professors in engineering. Long story short, they are interested in the trike and may sponsor some sort of project with their students and the trike. All this is TBD, but part of the reason we chose Faro.

John also found us our apartment when we were ready to start looking, which was June 2024. This apartment is not, I think, typically Portuguese as far as size and layout. It's really hard to describe. One thing I'll note is that there is a very large office with a lot of built in desk, shelves and cabinetry. I mean, it's really good size and nice. There's even a couch and coffee table in there. THE OFFICE WASN'T EVEN MENTIONED OR PICTURED IN THE AD. There were some photos of decor objects, but not one clue about this office. I call that weird. It also has a GIGANTIC terrace that is NOT a shared space. Seriously, It may be 4-5 times the screened porch we had on Marlwood and we thought that was big. At any rate, the dogs and I came on a shared charter flight and Scott flew on United both out of New Jersey around the same time. I wrote about that on FB, so won't repeat here.

Gosh, so much occurred between January and December of 2024; it makes my head spin. I just had to double check that I really mean January 2024 and not 2023. It WAS 2024 when Scott and I came back to scout and started planning in earnest. Let's see. Why did we choose to leave in December of 2024. I'd have to say it was a combo of when we could afford for Scott to retire and how/when we could get the dogs here. Factoring in also:

• good time to put the house on the market

• timing to get everything done that needed doing --- MUCH about moving to Europe and specifically to Portugal has date parameters, example: You can't apply for a residency visa (which requires an in-person appointment at a specific location in the US) more than 90 days before you intend to leave the US and arrive in Portugal (PT), but you also can't wait until, say a week before to make an appointment, because you probably won't be able to find one available AND the visa itself will only be good for 120 days. Then there are also date restrictions around what you have to do to bring pets (no quarantine) and your stuff. Seriously, this is a Project Manager wet dream, except when you are planning for yourself rather than some impersonal project. To put it more succinctly, you must understand and apply not too early, and not too late.

• You MUST understand the requirements of the Visa appointment, which involves (not an exhaustive list)

  • showing you have somewhere to live for 12 months

  • for the visa that applied to us, showing you have enough "passive income" (not earned, and absolutely not earned in Portugal) to support yourself (selves) for a year as compared to the Portuguese minimum wage.

  • A Portuguese bank account with at least the minimum amount of money in it for your situation. Oh, BTW, getting a bank account requires that you obtain a NIF (taxpayer identification number).

  • FBI background check

  • USDA certified veterinarian paperwork for each dog

  • Each person has to have their own appointment time and their own document copies.

I had foot surgery on July 30. Was still in a boot and had an ankle scooter for our appointment on August 26. Scott's official retirement dates was August 13 and his 65th birthday was August 28. I went on COBRA.

In May of 2024, we went on a canoe trip down the Shenandoah River with Austin, Megan, Miko (dog), Alex, Jesse and us. I had 2 beach times with Occoneechee girls, we went to a Meador family reunion in October and from there went to a beach house with "the boys" on the Outer Banks. We had our "annual" July party, too.

We put our house on the market on July 1. It essentially sold for full price by July 10. More to the story, but you'll have to ask. We closed on it October 8th and rented it back from the buyers until November 30th. We had an estate sale and had packers come during November. IT WAS CRAZY and stretched my abilities (let's don't underestimate the emotions attached to it all). When we bought that house, we thought we would be there until we died (me having sorta forgotten my dream to live in Europe).

I think I had more to say here, but I spent so much time remembering, that I'm not sure what I was going to say. I plan to try to keep this blog up.... here, rather than Facebook. Time will tell.

BTW, I have a continuing saga about ordering from Amazon Spain and getting thing or not getting them or getting multiples'. Funny, not funny.

Thanks for tuning in and best of wishes for 2025.

On the shared charter flight.