About Our New Hometown
Hi, we’re Patrick and family.
I’m German, 37 now. My wife is French, with Portuguese roots. We met over ten years ago in Perth, Australia, both of us there on work and travel — neither of us had any business being there long-term, which is sort of how the best things happen.
Today we live in Paris with our two daughters, 9 and 3. We’re not nomads, we’re not “living the dream” on a beach somewhere — we have a regular life, a regular job, and kids who need stability. We love our life here, genuinely. But there’s also this nagging feeling that there’s more to explore, more to live, and that comfort is exactly what keeps people from ever doing anything about it. We don’t want to wake up in ten years having just stayed comfortable. So we’re planning, deliberately and step by step, to build a life in Portugal within the next five years.
This blog is where we document that process — while we’re still here, still living our regular, comfortable life in Paris, and still working through the inertia that comfort creates. The research, the planning, the slow-living philosophy behind it, and the practical reality of preparing a family for a move abroad long before it actually happens.
Why Portugal (and France)
We didn’t pick these countries randomly — they’re already woven into our family history. My wife is from Paris, which is the simple reason we live here. And on the Portuguese side, it’s not a place we found on a map: we have a family house in Ferrel, right on the coast, surf country. Between French, German, English, and Portuguese, language has never been the barrier most people assume it is. As EU citizens, the bureaucratic side is simpler for us than for many; what actually took time was understanding the real cost of living, the school systems, healthcare, and what daily life looks like once the honeymoon phase of “moving abroad” wears off.
We know the Silver Coast well by now — it’s not a place we’re hoping will work out, it’s one we already spend time in. What struck us early on wasn’t a spreadsheet number. It’s how much life happens outside: the food markets, the seafood that’s actually fresh, the light, the weather, the ocean, the surf culture the region is known for. None of that shows up in a cost-of-living comparison, but it’s a big part of why we’re serious about this.
Here’s roughly where we are: right now we’re researching, comparing notes, and figuring out what a remote income needs to look like before any of this becomes real. We’re not house-hunting yet, and we’re not in a rush — we’re looking at a horizon of around five years, not five months. The kids’ summer holidays give us roughly two months a year to actually live there for a stretch rather than just visit, and that’s likely where the next real test happens before any decision point.
And here’s the honest reason behind all of it: this isn’t only about Portugal — it’s the concrete place we’re aiming for right now, but the real goal is bigger than one country. It’s about freedom. We want a location-independent income not so we can travel more for the sake of it, but so we’re actually present for the moments that matter — the school years, the small everyday things with our daughters that you don’t get back. Money that doesn’t depend on where we are is what makes that possible.
We’re sharing what we learn because most relocation content online is written by people without kids, without a mortgage, without the constraints a real family has. We wanted something real.
What this blog is (and isn’t)
This isn’t a “quit your job and move to paradise tomorrow” blog. I still go to a regular job in Paris five days a week — this whole plan has to work around that reality, not pretend it doesn’t exist. This blog is for people who:
- Are thinking long-term about relocating with a family
- Want a remote or location-independent income, but understand that takes time to build
- Value slow, considered decisions over impulsive ones
- Want practical information, not Instagram fantasy
We’ll share what’s working for us, what hasn’t, and the honest timelines behind both.
A note on how we make money
Some links on this site are affiliate links — meaning if you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we’ve used, things we use regularly, researched thoroughly, or would genuinely choose ourselves. This is explained in full on our Privacy Policy page.
Follow along
We’re early in this, and we’re posting as we go — research, comparisons, what we book and why, what surprised us. If you want the next update without having to check back.
No spam — just what we’re learning, when there’s something worth sharing.
Questions, corrections, or just want to say hi? Use the Contact page — we read everything.