When people imagine moving to Portugal, they tend to picture sunshine, beaches and leisurely lunches that somehow stretch into dinner.
All of which is true.
What nobody talks about are the smaller surprises.
The things you only discover once you've actually moved in and started living here.
For example...
The Laundry Situation
One of my favourite discoveries has been the Portuguese relationship with laundry.
Back in the UK, I used a tumble dryer like every other sleep-deprived parent trying to survive modern life.
Here?
I have become strangely passionate about clotheslines.
In our condominium, I persuaded my husband to install two white washing lines across our tiny patio.
By "persuaded," I mean I promised not to complain about golf for at least twenty-four hours.
The result has been surprisingly magical.
The constant Portuguese breeze dries clothes incredibly quickly.
Everything smells of sunshine and fresh air.
Ironing becomes almost optional.
And for reasons I cannot fully explain, hanging laundry outside feels oddly satisfying.
It's also wonderfully Portuguese.
Laundry dances from balconies everywhere.
It's practically part of the national landscape.
Although if you live on a lower floor, there is always the possibility that a rogue sock may decide to start a new life elsewhere.
The Door Problem
Another thing nobody prepared me for was the dramatic personality of Portuguese doors.
These doors do not simply close.
They perform.
The combination of open windows, fresh air and coastal breezes means that every door in the house is permanently auditioning for a role in a horror film.
One unexpected gust of wind and:
BANG.
You leap three feet into the air and immediately assume somebody has broken into the house.
After several weeks of living like this, I developed a deep appreciation for doorstops.
I now consider them one of humanity's greatest inventions.
The Great Heating Debate
Before moving here, I worried about air conditioning.
Now I worry about heating.
This surprises almost everyone.
Portugal is warm, but houses can get surprisingly chilly during winter.
Especially if you're used to homes designed to keep human beings alive in cold weather.
Our underfloor heating system has become one of my favourite features of the house.
Meanwhile, our January scouting trip involved an Airbnb with heating so ineffective that we briefly considered hibernation.
The fireplace ended up working harder than the entire heating system.
There is something deeply humbling about moving to a Mediterranean country and discovering that your biggest luxury is warm feet.
"The longer we live here, the more I realise that relocating isn't really about the big things. It's about all the little surprises nobody mentions in the brochures."
The longer we live here, the more I realise that relocating isn't really about the big things.
It's about all the little surprises nobody mentions in the brochures.
And honestly, those are usually the best stories.
— Kasia
Kasia Plattner is a writer, relocator and professional starter-over. Author of The Art of Making Life More Complicated.