I can’t believe I’ve been living in Portugal for a month.

Of course, I knew this time would go by quickly. Really, three months is a short time in the big scheme of life.

Yet, it also seems like I’ve been here longer.

The rhythm of my days helps with that. After all, I live here. I work, go to the market, write, read, walk, visit museums, take pictures, make friends.

I’m not just visiting or vacationing.

 

I’m not a fan of travel

 

That’s something I’ve realized with this experience: I’m not much of a fan of travel, because in my mind that equals vacation. You go for a week or 10 days, and you cram in everything, and you go home cranky and exhausted and wishing it was longer.

Maybe that’s why I always thought when I traveled if it was some place I’d want to live, and why I decided to do this with my life.

It’s great to see new places, and travel allows you to do that. Even living here, I keep trying to see new places and do new things. That’s what keeps life fresh no matter where you are. But what I’m doing is different than being on vacation.

Think about your last trip someplace. What did you do? What did you see? Where did you stay? What did you eat?

Chances are, you stayed in a hotel, Airbnb or maybe with family. You tried to visit tourist-type spots and do multiple activities to make the most of your time. You probably ate out at a lot of restaurants. I bet you stayed up late and got up early. And when you went home, you were happy to go home.

Did you enjoy yourself? You bet. Heck, I’d enjoy myself.

But that’s not what I want to do. No, I want to live other places.

 

Glad I’m living in Portugal

 

So, I’ve been partially correct all along. I thought I liked to travel. Rather, I like to experience other places by living there.

Granted, it was helpful to choose a place I’d visited and wanted to go back to for my first foray.

That was another thing I was partially correct about.

Before I got here, I’d tell people who asked why I chose Portugal that there are some places you like to visit but you wouldn’t want to live there. Then, I’d use Mexico as an example, and they’d nod knowingly.

The places I’ve visited in Mexico are very touristy. Playa del Carmen is a tourist’s dream – with beaches, night clubs, cheap food and alcohol. Cancun is full of big resorts with plenty of visitors and lots to do. I couldn’t see myself living either place.

And yet, there are many people who do live there – expats included. Living someplace and visiting are very different.

 

I can live anywhere

 

So, after living here, I know I could do this anyplace – move there for a few months. Even if I’d never been there and even if it turned out not to be a favorite place, I could spend three months getting to know the place, the people and my feelings about it.

I’m pleased I chose Portugal first. It’s been a great experience – all the way around. I couldn’t have asked for any better.

Maybe I’ll be back, but I feel like there are other places I need to live. Now I need to figure out where they are.

 

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Be a Better Writer Tip

 

Let’s dig a little deeper into achieving your writing goals.

What are your writing goals?

• Write them down. (You’re a writer – that’s what you do.) It’s OK if you don’t have a lot or even well formulated goals. Your goal can simply be to “be a better writer.” That’s OK. But write it down.
• Make a plan for how to achieve them. Pick one goal to start. Let’s use that generic “be a better writer” goal for this example.

What steps can you take to achieve that goal?

Think of things you can do daily, weekly, monthly or yearly to achieve your goal.

• Read my Be a Better Writer Tips. That’s a semi-weekly step you can take.
• Set aside time every day to write. Even if it’s five minutes before bed or when you first wake up. Do it. Set that time to write, and you’ll be amazed at how it can become a habit you really enjoy!
  • If you need help to achieve this, set an alarm on your phone to go off at the same time every day. Then, stop whatever else you’re doing and write instead.
  • Set a timer for your writing so you know you’ve only got a certain amount of time. When the timer goes off, stop writing – unless you’ve got free time and you’d only be watching Netflix instead or cleaning the bathroom. Then, by all means, keep writing.
  • Don’t have paper and pen or your laptop when the alarm sounds? Use that device that just reminded you to write to write. Open your notes program and start typing. Or, even easier, use voice text. (This might be a little trickier if you’re just starting to write, but it can help if you just think of it as talking to yourself.)
• Take a writing course. There are options at local colleges and online. Look up one that fits into your writing genre: Short stories, columns, blogs, novels, etc. Google it and see what you can find. If it’s too expensive, write it down as a potential way to reach your goal. I’ve found if you really want something, you’ll find a way to do it. (Says the girl who’s living in Portugal.)
• Take part in a writing challenge, such as NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month in November. Even if you don’t write a novel, you can be challenged and inspired to write every day, and at the end of the month, you have the first draft of a book!
• Start a blog. If you really want to do it, you can do it cheaply and easily. You can always improve it or upgrade to a better platform. (Been there, done that.) But just getting started will help you be a better writer.

There are a handful of things you can do to “Be a Better Writer.” Repeat for each writing goal – breaking them down into smaller goals to help achieve your main goal.

It only takes 30 days to create habit. Get started today!