Something happened today.
It wasn’t loud. There was no big event. Just a quiet, undeniable click — like the planets finally lined up and whispered, It’s time.
We’ve been dreaming about moving abroad for over a decade. We’ve tossed the idea around in long car rides, joked about opening a B&B in the French countryside, and sighed wistfully after each trip to Europe. But something changed today. The path forward lit up so clearly that we couldn’t unsee it.
We’re doing this.
We’re moving to Portugal.
💬 Why We’re Sharing This
Since we started telling people, we’ve gotten a flood of questions — from friends, family, and even strangers:
Why now? Why Portugal? Are you serious? How are you doing this?
So we decided to share our story here, as it unfolds.
This blog is our attempt to answer those questions — not just with information, but with honesty. Because if you’re anything like us — if you’ve ever dreamed of leaving the U.S., of starting over, of finding a new way to live — then maybe this will be helpful. Maybe even hopeful.
🇵🇹 Why Portugal?
For starters, we fell in love. And not just with the weather (though yes — it’s sunny in the Algarve nearly year-round). We fell in love with the culture, the pace, and the people.
Over the past few years, we kept hearing about Portugal — especially from other expats and travelers. People talked about how safe they felt. How kind and open the communities were. How affordable healthcare and education were. How English was widely spoken, especially in areas like the Algarve. And how the D8 digital nomad visa offered a realistic path to residency.
So we started digging. We researched. We stalked forums. We asked questions. We talked to people who had done it. And the more we learned, the more it felt like Portugal could actually be home.
📌 [Add a photo here from your scouting trip — a street in Loulé, your family at the school, or a sunset in the Algarve.]
In February, we took a scouting trip with our kids. Eight intense, exhilarating days exploring the Algarve — and especially, finding a school that felt right.
And we did.
Bright International School in Loulé felt like home the moment we walked in the door. It wasn’t just a good fit — it was a click.
We left that trip smitten. And certain.
⏳ Why Now?
This part’s harder to write. But if you’re reading this, you deserve honesty.
We love many things about the U.S. — the community we’ve built, the opportunities we’ve had, the memories that shaped us. But we no longer feel safe here.
As a queer family raising kids, we’ve watched political rhetoric shift into real, structural danger. The rise of authoritarianism, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, book bans, reproductive restrictions, and casual cruelty in public discourse… it’s not just noise. It’s a warning.
And while we live in a relatively liberal area of New England, we’ve stopped believing that bubble will protect us.
We don’t want to wait and see if things “blow over.” We want to choose something better — while we still can.
I’ve studied enough history to know what happens when people dismiss early warning signs. The echoes of 1930s Germany are chilling, and while I hope we’re wrong, I’m not willing to gamble my family’s future on hope alone.
🌍 What If We’re Wrong?
Then we’ll have spent a year (or two, or ten) living in a beautiful country, growing closer as a family, and giving our kids a life-changing experience.
We’ll have lost nothing — and gained everything.
There’s no perfect place. But there are places that feel more aligned with who we are and how we want to live.
And Portugal, right now, is that place for us.
We’re terrified. We’re excited. We’re grieving what we’re leaving. And we’re ready for what comes next.
Thanks for following along. We’ll be sharing the whole messy, magical, logistical journey — and if you’re curious, or quietly planning your own exit strategy, we hope it helps.
Here we go. 💛
— The Behans