Choosing our initial destination did not happen overnight. In fact, it was probably a year of discussions after a few years of dreaming. The responsibility and parental worries of a baby on the trip made this seem like a much more important decision than the travel decisions we have made in the past.
The world provides an incredible variety of possibilities. There are great reasons to go so many places: climate, activities, culture, language, business, cost of living, etc. There are challenges and negatives for anywhere as well. And the list is pretty much the same.
Initially, we were looking everywhere in the world. I would Google "best place to move abroad", "happiest cities in the world", "fittest cities in the world", and on and on. Our lists changed on a regular basis, but here are the locations that continued to land at the top:
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Uraguay
- France
- Portugal
To finally make the decision, we had to analyze what would be most important to us. I had a little more liberal feeling about where to go, where Leslie worried a bit more about safety and ease of traveling with a small baby.
In the end we chose Europe. Both of us had dreamed of living in Europe, and it is first world. Safety, ease of travel, and luxury are easy to come by, reducing the stress a bit.
Where to go in Europe was a bit difficult. Originally, Portugal did not even make the list. I had the idea to check it out years ago, but it seemed a bit third world-ish compared to France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, etc. Then, talking to friends who had been, we found out that Portugal is safe, nice, and a bit less expensive. It was officially on the list.
A place to meet our goals would take:
- Sunny
- Safe
- Healthy
- Activities
- Surfing
- Dance
- Running
- Crossfit
- Cost of living (our length of stay is relative to this)
- Decent population size
- Growth oriented community
Portugal ended up checking the most boxes. It tends to be sunny, there are great beaches and surfing, the primary "Portuguese" dinners are grilled fish, and it is significantly less expensive, assuming you primarily buy local products. Also, there has been a great increase in startups and entrepreneurship lead by the Portuguese government. Starting in 2016, web summit has been held in Lisbon, putting Portugal on the map for startups like never before.
As it turns out, Portugal was a great choice for us. We started in Lagos. Lagos has been very easy to find our bearings. The city is small enough that getting around is simple and touristy enough that everyone is used to bumbling, English speakers. And, everyone here loves Theo!