We landed in our new country of residence six months ago in the cold of early January. All I can say is that I’m glad I have kept this journal. Without my notes and photos, much of the last six months would be a blur. Sitting here enjoying the summer heat and crystal blue skies, our new life feels both surreal and completely normal all at the same time.

Before the move, I worried that I’d be bored in retirement. I thought I’d miss being productive and busy. When I pictured my days, I imagined myself knocking out at least one or two books a week while sipping cool beverages. Maybe I’d get around to tackling all the classics I hadn’t read.  In truth, I haven’t picked up a book since we left the country. There really are not enough hours in the days to do all we want to do. Much of the time, retirement is exhausting!

Most days we dedicate about two hours to getting out and walking. We have a routine to walk along the beach and boardwalk. We both spend a lot of time trying to learn Portuguese. That is coming along albeit much more slowly than we hoped. I putz around with my photography. We hang out with friends more. Adding to that all the exciting everyday tasks of grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning, makes the days whiz by.

Bottom line: We are still so glad we made this move and still feel that everything fell into place because it was simply meant to be. We intend to stay at least as long as we can take care of each other.