Having got my land cleared and the house on said land almost liveable in and having bought another town house in Penamacor I'm now thinking through the option of returning to the UK...
The reason being that I just don't feel very rooted here in Portugal - it's not just the language, although that's a big part of it - the climate, the seasonality doesn't have the same resonance with me.
It's an odd thing but when I had my allotment back in the UK, it was just an allotment, but there was something very familiar about the seasons and growing stuff, I connected with it.
I just don't get that here. I can't honestly see myself living off the land, the seasons just don't resonate with me in the same way.
So maybe I will head back to the UK - I may not even be thinking about this is if it wasn't for a tax shock I had recently - my accountant sent me a miscalculation about how much tax I would be paying in Portugal, like about 6 times more than what I've actually got to pay now it's sorted, which is not very much.
But that shock made me do some math and IF I sell all my property in Portugal, I can head back to the UK, pay most of the mortgage off AND in a couple of years I could afford buy outright a small piece of woodland out there, and start all over again!
Feeling more connected - I dunno there's just something about the UK seasons I really miss too.
Whether I head back or not this move to Portugal was something I had to do at the time so it's all good, and financially I feel like I've spent a small fortune out here in a money down the drain sort of way but somehow, assuming I can get decent prices on my land assets here, I'm still in a very favourable (up) position compared to when I left the UK in late 2020.
I'm in no rush to make this move, I may never make this move, but it's something I'm thinking about.....
The seasonal changes and the way they effect you are huge. Living in a country where one day is very similar to the next day often feels like Groundhog day!
Don't put pressure on yourself. Just do what feels right and ignore the financial implications. Peace of mind and contentment are far too valuable to put a price tag on! Best wishes :-)
Yeah you're right, I'm wondering if there's something almost primal about it - the most rooted place I feel is in the S-E of England, where I was born, even though it's a bit of a shit-hole!
I remember reading something about the Navajo literally dying of homesickness when they were forcibly removed from their reservations - I'm not THAT connected to the UK, but I get it!
you might be homesick. i whope everything will workout. take care
Cheers! I'm not desperate to go back, just a thought at this point!
well, it wouldn't be a thought when some parts of you is missing the place.
Home is where the heart is... If you feel like you need to move back please do. At the very least it was a great experience in Portugal
Yeah we'll see how it goes, a lot is based on the fact that I'm much better off now financially than I thought I would have been when I left, so I've got more options!
Have you thought about locating a place where you could buy nice property cheaply, that has a similar climate to that of the UK? I hope you can sort through it, and find the perfect place :) ...
Something to consider, cheers!
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I get it. I lived in Germany for a couple of year, but nice as it was I missed various things about the UK. I'm just used to how things are here, even the crappy stuff. I hope you can find your path to happiness.
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It's not all bad - it's more a case of having more options now because I'm better off than I thought I would have been!
Cheers!
Ahhhh this is something no one can give you advice in because it is so damn personal. When I was living in the Caribbean there were also almost no seasons, just a small change in temperature and humidity in some months but nothing you were able to see in the trees and plants outside.
Honestly, it never bothered me although I did appreciate rain more since it is scarce. But I heard a lot of people there who moved temporarily that having no seasons affected them more than they initially thought.
It is never a bad thing to evaluate a bit if you are liking the situation that much. Do consider that you had moved out in a covid time and that brought a lot to sleep in the world making connecting extremely difficult.
But moving back, never a loss as well. Maybe financially but it did bring a lot of new stuff to do and think about
Yeah the seasonality is a big thing, especially when it comes to grow your own!
It's also about feeling rooted, I just don't here!
I can't say I missed the UK (besides Cornish Pasties, proper Fish & Chips , Pattie), when I lived in AZ. It felt like I was on holiday when I went back for a visit and home was the US.
I would have stayed if I could have got some work, but my VISA restricted me. It's the middle of summer here and still cold. Get yer woolies on.
Must be a cold summer!
I lived in NM for a year, really like that part of the world, how long were you out there for?
It's been shit so far, I was in AZ for 18 months. I loved the heat.
Maybe you just haven't found the right spot in Portugal yet, or maybe you have the grass is greener on the other side syndrome. These couple of years have been weird to make big moves in life as I think it doesn't reflect the real state of life.
But that aside, I know no matter where one settles in the world, there's always something they will miss from home even if it's small like a packet of Walkers crisp or walking back home from the pub through the shitty town on a Friday evening.
The main problem I've got is that I'm chronically unsocial - I'm not interactive enough to be able to learn the language, so I'm mute, it's getting a bit ridiculous!
In Britain I can be chronically unsocial but at least I can acknowledge people and not appear to be rude!
And my money situation is better now than it was two years ago, so Britain doesn't seem so expensive!
I don't think it's easy moving to a new country and sometimes you have to move away to realise what you miss. I guess you havent been out there very long, and maybe a few more years would have you feel more at home, but still, I can see why you'd miss England. I do, terribly.
Ps Good news about Boris.
Isn't Aus about as English as you can get for a foreign country though? Of course I guess it's not entirely the same, I mean Vegimite alone would alienate me.
I've loved watching his decline, and watching all those cabinet weasels try and position themselves is going to be fun too - that new health secretary - denouncing Boris an hour before he resigned, what a tosser he is.
It's never been clearer what a game it all is.
The person I'm most scared of is Piri Patel - we all know what an utter Bitch she is, and I've noticed she's been VERY QUIET during all of this - almost like she's keeping herself clean from the stains and playing the long game - I expect to see her rise in the next decade.
It will be odd having an Asian female Hitler in power in 2030.
I grew up in the canary islands and there are barely no seasons there, but at least there are lush forests. I feel Portugal and part of Spain are suffering a lot of climate change and nature is getting dry if I explain. Here in the north where I live I see it in my own province in the south but at least for now there are dam forests, mossy stones, gurgling creeks and you know flowing seasons and tenderness
I wish I could get some pkace somewhere green one day, I cannot even imagine to afford it. I have never had a home on my own in my entire life, but I rather a small place as long as there is dew in the morning.
The forest where you take a lot of your photos is beautiful....
The thing is around here, I think you are in a similar part of the world to me, is that it is possible to do epic landscape design to store water, it just takes a lot of digging! Short term carnage for long term gain.
But yes, water is essential and it is VERY dry around here ATM!
And permits... Not easily given here. But yes water is the new gold.
Where I live it looks a lot like France and it is greener, colder and damper than the rest of the country, still last June we had a heatwave that set many forests ablaze, we had such strange skies (used in last lost video) but made me think that living way into the woods in this global warming times also pose risk.
Still one day if love to have my small piece of land and a cabin to create and just live quietly
So, you're saying UK has better weather?... ;)
Oh like totally!