𝟭𝟳 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗜’𝗱 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆
It's been just over three years since we packed up our lives in South Africa and moved to Portugal.
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.
Geoff had lost all his Marine Engineering offshore work in Africa due to Covid and inability to travel. He’d found out there was plenty of work he’d be able to do in Europe.
He suggested the UK.
I said, “I’d rather put a gun to my head than live in the UK.”
I proposed Spain or Portugal because of the weather, nature, lifestyle, and cost of living - especially since I already spoke Spanish.
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.
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.
It was fast. I didn’t have time to think about it.
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.
Because I love to live an eternal summer, I also held the intention of spending a few summer months in South Africa each year.
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 can’t help but wish I could send my current self back in time to share these 17 insights:
🌟 𝟏. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠
“I’m a Great Traveller. It will be a super adventure,” I naively thought before I left South Africa.
Living in a Different Country (or city) is entirely different from going on holiday or travelling somewhere new.
The demands of setting up a life, the admin around it, meeting new people, and making new friends require deep energy reserves.
🌟 𝟐. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞. (x10 if you do it in a language you don’t 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.
🌟 𝟑. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟.
In your first year (or even two), don’t think about signing up for courses, doing side projects or even scheduling holidays.
Don’t add MORE to your plate. Rather take things off your plate.
🌟 𝟒. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮.
We brought very little over. We sold most of it in South Africa. Geoff and I are not attached to “stuff”, so we thought it wouldn’t be an issue.
I don’t wish we'd brought furniture, but I do wish I’d brought my bed linen.
I’m so pleased I brought all my pictures, they are unexpectedly soothing.
🌟 𝟓. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲.
If you need to pay them, do it. It is worth every cent.
🌟 𝟔. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.
Sign up for a weekly activity where you’ll 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 doesn’t cut it.
🌟 𝟕. 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 and make friends with people living in the same area as you.
The same country doesn’t count. The same town or suburb is ideal.
This groundwork will make your arrival feel so much warmer.
🌟 𝟖. 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 – 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 (that you may not even realise you have).
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.
🌟 9. When you meet people – 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫.
Finding each of these will be more of a celebration than you can fathom right now.
🌟 𝟏𝟎. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 - 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐩.
Do them regularly and Keep adding to that list as you discover more.
🌟 𝟏𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 to the ones your body has developed immunity to over a lifetime.
In the first few years, you may be sick often. And the symptoms may be more severe than you’re accustomed to.
🌟 𝟏𝟐. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 before you’re 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.
🌟 13. If you have children, 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞/ 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 for the first 3 to 12 months when you arrive.
Emotional ups and downs are normal during such a big transition, so having extra support, even just for a few hours, is invaluable.
🌟 𝟏𝟒. 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 “𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄” 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 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.
🌟 𝟏𝟓. 𝐁𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. Some days will be joyous, and others will be challenging. You’ll 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.
🌟 𝟏𝟔. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬. Instead of getting dismayed, throw your hands up and say, “How Fascinating!”
Laughing at the bumps will make the ride smoother.
🌟 𝟏𝟕. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 – get enough sleep, exercise and eat well.
You’ll 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.)
The overarching theme has been, “Who am I, and what am I capable of when faced with the unfamiliar?”
I’ve been teaching my students for almost 2 decades:
“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞.”
This experience has been a self-created test to keep applying the tools I teach my students…
… ease, wellbeing, flow, vision, magic, working with money, manifesting, alignment, abundance…
… to turn all the challenges from roadblocks into stepping-stones to a more vibrant, authentic and abundant version of myself.
