From North Carolina to Cascais, Portugal... A Mom's Countdown
77 days to go
Hello dear reader(s). I'm sitting in a dark, nearly empty movie theater in the middle of a beautiful day with my 3-year-old son as I covertly type this post. “Why?” you ask. Well, because we were supposed to be at Frozen on Ice but, as I'm slowly losing my mind due to this impending move (immigration?), I drove us 1.5 hours to attend an event that is scheduled for two months from today 🤯. My son was set on treats and a show so here we are at the movie theater instead.
It's a sweet movie but my mind and body are swirling with anxiety, anticipation, grief, confusion, and excitement (to name a few) as the countdown to our move abroad has somehow gone from 1 year and 2 months to… 2 months. And I felt the urge to write.
The countdown to our move abroad has somehow gone from 1 year and 2 months to… 2 months. And I felt the urge to write.
I haven't had a strong desire to write in a long time. Specifically, since I attempted to start a blog about my online dating life in Vermont in 2014… Falling in love and having two children in 2 years will steal all your creative ambitions. And yes, I’m proof that online dating CAN work! #okcupid
But the topic of today's foray back into the writing world isn’t about dating or falling in love. It’s about packing up yourself, your husband, your two toddlers and a few suitcases and moving to another continent. And I have a lot to process. So here I am.
The seed for this move was planted in March of last year (2023). There was yet another mass shooting at a US university and it was the last straw for us. My husband is an EU citizen and I found out that my cousin was moving to Portugal. We called her and talked to her for over an hour about her plans. We booked a family scouting trip to Portugal for June and fell in love. One year, two scouting trips, and hours and hours of endless online research later, we're about to launch.
We booked a family scouting trip to Portugal for June and fell in love. One year, two scouting trips, and hours and hours of endless online research later, we're about to launch.
This coming weekend, my husband is taking the two monsters, I mean children, to visit his parents in Georgia for pan au chocolat and egg hunts (French MIL/Easter weekend) while I am tasked with emptying out the children's toy storage area that we call our “house.”
I am of two minds: looking forward to a much needed child-free weekend (shout out to any boy-moms who are experiencing an Oedipal level of attachment) and overwhelmed by the thought of the daunting task that is ahead of me. We've gathered 7 years of STUFF in this home of ours including all the hand-me-down toys and clothes one could ever need, and there's going to be a lot of purging and decision-making that needs to happen.
Our goal is to arrive in Lisbon with eight suitcases or less. We are renting out a furnished townhouse in Portugal and we are renting out our home here in Asheville fully furnished.
Our goal is to arrive in Lisbon with eight suitcases or less.
We will be living in what is technically called Sintra, right on the border of Cascais. It's about equidistant to both town centers, which is fantastic because we love the forest (Sintra) and we're excited to live near the beach (Cascais). If you do a quick Google search of the town names you'll get a sense of the beauty of both of those areas.
We picked that region because it is heavily “expatty” and there are an abundance of Portuguese private schools and international schools for the kids. But there are many Portuguese locals and it wouldn't be ONLY expats. It's also breathtakingly beautiful and has the wellness focus that appeals to us in Asheville.
So, that's all for now! We're finally headed to the playground for some much needed outdoor time.
Comment with anything you want to know more about (or less about 😉). My goal is to post regularly as we get closer to the move and thereafter. I hope you'll follow along!
Xx,
Eloise
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Congratulations! You're getting so close! I'm excited for you and I remember feeling all of those same things before we moved and arrived here in Portugal. It's a great time of life. Savor all of the moments!
Excited to follow your journey even if vicariously