A New Chapter: Life in Portugal

Now, when I wake up I can see an olive tree from my bed. There is a stone wall behind it, and plenty of grass around.

A well-manicured garden wouldn’t have those “weeds,” but I am just so glad they are there. Not so long ago, all this area was covered with a double layer of plastic and then tons of rocks and pebbles to ensure nothing would grow.

This is just a tiny piece of a now 3 hectares land my husband and I are regenerating. The main part of the plot, where we live, is now becoming a food forest, and the main space for our children to grow, learn, and explore.

The rest was recently acquired and it is still an eucalyptus and pine plot, with sandy soil. Some boars, hares and maybe even some deer might be occasional visitors, as well as the Egyptian mongoose. It is, by and large, still mostly a space needing some nurture.

As I get up, my husband is usually already out of bed, as he now mostly rises well before the sun. I am usually greeted by my two boys, ready for excitement. They have been waiting, of course, trying not to make too much noise. Still it is probably 6 a.m. at this point. We hug, we cuddle, we play, and we start getting ready for the day.

The Journey to Portugal

Life has really transformed since I made the move to Portugal! Living by the coast and taking care of my own land, family, and life has been such a joy. I absolutely love it here!

Our food forest project has become the heart of our new life. We’re slowly transforming depleted soil into a thriving ecosystem with fruit trees, native plants, and vegetable gardens. The children help plant seeds and harvest whatever is ready, learning about nature’s cycles firsthand. There’s something deeply satisfying about growing your own food and watching barren land come back to life.

Finding My Musical Path

I became a music teacher for families after attending Music Together in Zurich with my babies and falling in love with the program. When I couldn’t find anything similar in my area, I decided to undergo all the necessary training and open my own Music Together center.

It has been quite an adventure! I love the curriculum, the classes, and the children, but it has been extremely challenging to gain enough momentum to establish a strong musical community. Enrolling requires a significant time and money investment, for an activity that is quite different from what people are accustomed to and can feel “out of the way.” Nevertheless, we are growing and enjoying the journey!

Health Transformation

One of the main shifts was in regards to my health and, specifically, to how I eat. Since my early tweens, I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, a common autoimmune disease. But more recently, I also got a second one (mostly benign) and my blood results showed my blood was fighting something on a regular basis.

It feels very disempowering, and deflating. You move to Nature, you live a better, healthier life, but your body is not having it. But eventually, I figured we (my body and I) were really the same thing, and we just needed to go explore, and figure out what was good for us.

So, I started an Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). This is a restrictive temporary diet to eliminate all food that can cause inflammation and then slowly reintroduce one by one to see which ones are causing trouble. To make matters worse, I have Vestibular Migraine, which requires avoiding another set of foods, making the resulting variety even shorter.

Having said that, let’s focus on the good: it opened a new season for creativity. The amount of new dishes was unbelievable, and they were tasty, nourishing and approved by the whole family. I felt great, better than I have felt since… I have no idea. I have been slowly shredding body volume, and some weight. Nothing dramatic, but constant. And, like magic, I went to the doctor and the results showed absolutely no signs of Hashimoto, and the other marker that showed inflammation/infection was also already better. This after just a short period.

AIP is more than just what you eat, though, there is a component for self care, for cleaning your body and environment, and so on. The potential is big and it is very exciting. Now, whenever we have to eat out of home, I can immediately feel it, no matter how compliant I try to make it. It is just so much better to eat homemade meals.

Finding Balance

Movement has also become more organic, as in it is a part of life: taking care of the house, the garden, going for walks, etc., all adds up. Still, strength training is increasingly important and I am looking for ways to make it work without causing vertigo. And Pilates remains my companion, albeit not as close as I would like it to.

Making friends is still an elusive thing. People seem to come and go from our lives, we give them our best, but times, they are changing. As my husband says, we need common interests, and proximity, to make friends. As we try to bring more activities and events to our space, hosting community gatherings and workshops, this becomes more organic as well.

Connection to Nature

Having a connection with Nature, for me, has been wonderful, and enriching, and I am very grateful for it. It calms the soul, and gives me purpose. Watching the seasons change across our land, noticing new birds arriving, and seeing plants thrive where once there was only barren ground—these simple observations have become the highlight of my days.

Anyway, now it is evening, and the kids are back home from their hobbies, which means suddenly it is very loud, cheerful, chaotic, and there is no way I can keep writing. It is time to go cover those children in kisses and somehow navigate them to wonderland.

Good night, everyone.