When the hot water heater was turned on, the gas man noticed a leaky hot water hose. The plumber came and fixed the leaky hose. However, he doesn’t know how to stop the clicking in the water heater. My realtor told me that the plumber would be able to fix the clicking problem, but that was not true. Perhaps he misunderstood my problem. I had sent him a short video of the water heater problem, complete with the clicking noise and the flame coming on and going right out. That didn’t seem to help him understand. He also didn’t speak any English and my translator app was acting up. I…

I am a passenger of size. What does that mean? Basically, I am obese and will not comfortably fit in a standard airplane seat. I can fit if I squeeze in, but my hips and arms extend into the neighboring seat areas. That is not comfortable for me or for my seatmate(s). My sister-in-law, Angie, and I are flying from the United States to Portugal in March 2022 to look for housing and open a bank account or two. I do not want to be uncomfortable on the flight, nor do I want to encroach on Angie’s space or the space of the person on my other side. My First…

Learning the language, any language, is a lot easier when you are younger. Once a child is 8 years old, learning a language and sounding like a native becomes a lot harder. I Learned Spanish as a Teenager I took three years of Spanish lessons in high school. Since I was a good student in general, I did everything I was supposed to do to learn how to read, speak, and comprehend the language. I learned enough to get by if I was in a Spanish-speaking country. As the years went on, I slowly lost my Spanish-speaking skills. I had no one to talk with and no reason that I…

Planning is the key to a less-stressed move to Portugal. It’s the key to the most stressful situations in life.  This article will focus on an international move to Portugal, specifically the most recent tips I came up with for my family as we plan our move. Much like a dog with a bone, I gnaw on the minutiae until I’m satisfied that I’ve planned every detail.  You could even say I’m rather anal-retentive.  I hate surprises when planning something as important as our move to Portugal. Let’s dive into the subjects I’m presently working on so you, too, can be less-stressed when planning your move to Portugal. 1. Cell…

Getting a driver’s license in Portugal isn’t too hard. You need certain paperwork and a lot of patience to deal with bureaucracy and language difficulties. Go to the Institute of Mobility and Transport (IMT) – Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes – as early in the day as possible as they are always busy. Here in the United States, I have a commercial driver’s license.  I have endorsements that also allow me to drive tanker trucks, hazardous materials, and motorcycles.  When I move to Portugal, I don’t know if I will drive heavy trucks for a living or not. Eventually, I will buy a car over there…and possibly a motorcycle. …

There are many logistics involved when moving to Portugal.  I identified six categories of things that we must do or bring, so far. There will be more, I’m sure. Some of these won’t apply to us.  We hope to have our EU passports in hand by the time we move.  But if you only hold a US passport, you need all of this information. Shipping Your Stuff to Portugal When Moving The first thing you must identify is what exactly you are taking with you when you move to Portugal. Dan and I decided we are only bringing things that can fit into two suitcases each plus our animals.   For…

I thought about my great-grandfather, Domenico DiCesare, as a new immigrant the other day.  He is the one who came to the U.S. from Italy and passed Italian citizenship down the line.  It went to my grandfather, my father, then to me and Dan who then passed it to our kids. What was it like living as a new immigrant in the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century? Without speaking the language, was it hard to fit in? Find a job? Make friends?  I wondered about that because that will soon be our lives. Going to America From what we have been able to gather, Domenico came to…