Our Backstories
Learn about who we are and why we decided to move to Portugal
One Turning Point After Another in My Life
Can you think of a specific moment in your life, a turning point, when you knew that your life would never be the same? Oftentimes, I think of many of those moments in my life. We all have events in our lives that profoundly change the direction of where we thought we were going. I would like to share a few of these moments with you, including the most recent one – why I decided to emigrate to Portugal. I Was Just a Kid In high school, I was just meandering through life as if life was happening around me. I was merely a participant in everyone else’s lives. I…
An Adventurer’s Life from Then til Now
My life has been one big adventure. I’d like to give you a little background into who I am. My name is Angela, and I have been married to Daniel Chesery for almost 30 years now. We have 3 biological children and have adopted our grandson, Ben, who is now our youngest. He is 4 years old. My Childhood Life As a child, I lived in many places. I never lived anywhere for more than 2 years until after I got married. By the time I graduated high school, I had been to 20 different schools. I went to 2 colleges and 1 tech school up to now. I did…
Starting a New Life, Late in the Game
I know I’m making the right decision. I just know it. It’s probably not for everyone, but if you’re reading this, you might be interested in how I decided to move to Europe to start a new life with some of my family. There is a lot to consider. I’m fifty years old, and we plan to move only two years from now. My wife, Angie, and our two youngest sons, Bradley (19) and Benjamin (4), along with my sister, Alecia, and her daughter, Kellie (16), plan to move to Portugal together as a family. We will live, work, and enjoy what life has to offer across the Atlantic. For…
A Giant Leap of Faith
We are taking a giant leap of faith into the unknown. I found the following quote by Leo Buscaglia which resonated with me. My family, those of us who are on this Italian citizenship adventure, are risking all to be truly free. “The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, or love. Chained by his certitude, he is a slave; he has forfeited his freedom. Only the person who risks is truly free.” Once We’re Italian Citizens, Then What? In my last post, I talked about applying to have our…
Accidentally Italian, On Purpose
Have you ever wished that you were someone else? That your life could be different? I know I sure have. In fact, I am accidentally Italian, and I am seeking citizenship on purpose. I like to think of myself as a traveler, as someone who has an unquenchable wanderlust. I’ve already been to 48 states in the U.S. and 24 countries around the world, including in Europe, the Caribbean, North America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. I went on a high school trip to Italy and Greece, and I fell in love with Italy. I have Italian blood, and when I was there, I felt like I belonged. Imagine my…