The year I finally moved abroad
When my lease ended this May, I didn’t renew it.
I’ve been awaiting the day I can keep the promise I made to my younger self— that 20-year-old, brand new mom who begrudgingly cancelled her college study abroad plans in Spain after discovering she was pregnant with her one-and-only child her senior year of college — of traversing this big beautiful world solo for my research.
This summer, suddenly, the rhythm of my life which had been built around this longtime goal shifted into view. My son was starting his first year of college. I had put my dream on hold for 19 years to get him out of the house and off into the world himself.
The quiet that followed from my empty Florida house as I sold almost everything I own in early May wasn’t sad; it was freeing.
Last night in my home in Florida before I sold it all to immigrate.
For the first time in years, I could feel life calling me forward.
After fifteen years in Florida, the same coastlines that raised me started whispering: It’s time.
So I listened.
After a whirlwind three-month European summer, wandering through Lisbon’s tiled hills, taking Pilates by the Adriatic, and scouting for my Well & Wild Global Wellness Tour — I came to a brief pause, knowing that I was done just visiting the life I wanted. I was actually living it.
That’s when I decided to do it for real: I’m immigrating to Portugal.
a Long awaited leap
This decision wasn’t impulsive. I’ve spent years weaving my career into something portable — journalism, content creation, wellness education — work that could move with me wherever I chose to land. But until now, I hadn’t given myself permission to actually go.
For years, I had been eyeing Thailand. I LOVE Thai food. I like Asia in general, but Thailand’s landscapes, wellness scene, and tranquility have always drawn me in. For the past 10 years, when I would talk travel and was around people I felt safe to share small parts of my dream life abroad with, I would tell them I would be immigrating to Thailand when the time finally came.
But when the time did come earlier this year to take my first solo scouting trip across the world this summer, I kept thinking that maybe I should start closer to the States in Europe. So, I meditated on it. After a few hours, I changed my flight from my original destination of Bangkok to Lisbon and over the course of a few days, pieced together a three month Euro summer 2025 itinerary.
Though it was my secondary plan (I had originally planned to go as far east as possible and work my way back west to the States over 10 months) it was still a very well researched and intentional summer itinerary. Little did I know, my small curiosity of Portugal over the past two years, would lead me to the biggest life update I’ve ever had.
After crying in the Miami airport bathroom for about 3 hours trying to move through some of my plane anxiety, I boarded a red eye flight to Lisbon in early July not knowing how much the land would impact the trajectory of my life.
From the moment I touched the soil, I knew Thailand was no longer a contender for my new home abroad.
Portugal felt like the natural next step. I’d very quickly fallen in love with its pace, its walkable cities, and the sense of calm it carries. The country has a quiet confidence that mirrors what I’ve been craving — a softer rhythm for my creative and personal life. After almost a month in Portugal I didn’t want to leave to continue no the rest of the itnerary this summer. But I did know that I had found the place my soul had been searching for all these years.
It’s a place where storytelling, wellness, and slowness can coexist — and that’s the energy I want to build my next chapter around.
Now, about the immigration & visa Process…
Last week, I sat in a small fingerprinting office in Sarasota. After looking for the office above a Publix shopping plaza, I found the inconspicuous little fingerprint and security office. The old guy that owned it was definitely ex-miliatry, very concise and mansplained everything to me— buthe was nice and super fast.
He made me put corn oil all over my hands and rub it in for a couple of minutes as he gave me the run down on FBI background checks and the apostille process.
Then, finally, he took each of my finger prints. That’s when I realized, I’ve never been fingerprinted before, like ever. I know lots of people get fingerprinted for education careers, military, etc. but journalists (at least not me) have never needed it to work.
He firmly pressed each finger onto a scanner as the guided me through the process. I watched all ten digits slowly appear on a computer screen before he saved each one.
I’ve filled out a lot of paperwork in my career, but this one felt heavier. Each fingerprint was a reminder that I’m not just dreaming about change — I’m actively creating it.
That appointment was part of my Portugal D8 Visa process — the pathway for remote professionals, freelancers, and creatives to legally live and work in Portugal. The fingerprints go to the FBI for a full background check, which will then be returned and attached to my residency visa packet.
It’s a slow process, layered with logistics and waiting. My next step is heading to New York City in early November for my visa appointment at the Portuguese Consulate. I couldn’t get into Miami — appointments there are impossible — so I booked the soonest available slot up north.
With the government shutdown looming, the uncertainty is real. But I’m not really worried— the amount of synchronicities I’ve had since I started this process is proof that I am protected and guided along this journey. I’ve never been more determined to finish something than I have with this immigration process.
When it’s all said and done, I’ll receive my Portuguese residency visa by New Year’s Eve, and be moved into my new home in January 2026.
This stage is equal parts paperwork and surrender.
Every notarized signature, every sealed envelope, every moment of waiting carries its own kind of energy — the hum of my beautiful new life taking shape.
How It Works (For Anyone Dreaming of the Same)
If you’ve ever thought about taking your life abroad, here’s what the D8 Visa process looks like in real terms:
Proof of Income: You’ll need consistent, verifiable remote income (through employment, freelancing, or entrepreneurship). I submitted contracts from my journalism and brand work to demonstrate financial stability. The Portuguese government requires nomads to earn a minimum of €3,400 each month.
Portuguese Bank Account: A local bank account with roughly €10,000 in savings is standard for single applicants. This shows readiness to support yourself.
Background Check & Apostille: Your FBI history report must be certified (apostilled) for use abroad.
Health Insurance & Housing: Proof of international coverage and a long-term rental or lease in Portugal is required.
Consulate Appointment: The final step — submitting your full application, passport, and supporting documents in person.
The paperwork is tedious, but the clarity is worth it. Each step feels like I’m unlocking another door that it getting me closer and closer to my life overseas.
What’s Next
If all goes as planned, I’ll be celebrating the New Year as a new Lisbon resident. My plan is to settle near the coast — somewhere peaceful but connected — and begin the next phase of Well & Wild and my research.
This move isn’t about starting over. It’s about starting aligned.
Every time I second-guess the timing or logistics, I remind myself that growth rarely arrives wrapped in certainty. Sometimes, it looks like a folder of documents, a one-way ticket, and a heart that finally feels ready.
Here’s to building a life abroad — intentionally, slowly, and in rhythm with something bigger than fear.
