Behind the Instagram Posts of Life Abroad
I’m about to unload a whole lotta first world problems on you. Can you handle it? If not, feel free to use the contact button, and tell me to keep my problems to myself. In the meantime, let’s carry on. You see, I’m still living in limbo, waiting to hear if my residency visa is approved and I can legally stay in Portugal, and live my happy little life with my boyfriend, Kris.
Plot twist:
Kris just left for the job opportunity of a lifetime (which I also pushed him to take) and bottom line: he’s gone for 18 months. 18 months is a BIG digit, but I’m not here to harp on that.
I’m an optimistic person. In general, I’m an incredibly happy person. But at the moment, I’m a lonely person who’s been gifted a big ol’ luxury. The time to figure out my purpose.
“WHOA. That’s loaded, calm down girl.”
No, seriously. I knew from the moment I landed in Germany, two years ago for work, that I wanted to live in Europe. But why? Most people are thrust onto the treadmill of their life, without having so much as a moment to stop and think about what the race is for. Hi. Hello. It’s me. A girl who just went through a major career change, said adios to New York City, and has decided to call a little surf town on the outskirts of Lisbon, home. And now I want to know why.
Lol. Life.
I think my desire to answer the “why” doesn’t stem as much from curiosity, as it does loneliness. And please understand that I don’t mean loneliness in an “I’m so sad. Pity me.” way. You know me. I’ve got coffee dates with new people every damn day. I’m basically a serial friend-maker. And my motivation for all of those coffees stems from the loneliness. I don’t like being alone. So I’m here to do something about it.
And I’m starting with a purpose.
You see, this major career change has started my entrepreneurial wheels turning, and I feel the need to catch up on the 9 years of business experience that I’m lacking. (Funny that business plans can’t be written with a 16-bar cut of a Broadway song…) So I decided to gather a bunch of like-minded women, and create a women’s business collective. It was as simple as a Facebook post, a bit of planning, a lot of inspiration, and guess what? An incredible response. Like, really inspiring women all looking to do better business, and willing to trust me with their ideas, and their creativity. Maybe I’m here to organize people.
So, unofficially, this post also serves as me saying that I’m developing my freelance writing business, as I’ve come to realize something over the past few months. Words have immense power. And the emails, letters, and website content I’ve been crafting over the past few months have opened my eyes to the number of people who have dynamite ideas, but have trouble communicating their vision with words. Enter me. I can do it. It’s been a big ol’ discovery realizing that I can actually help people by just talking to them, understanding their pain points, and putting some words on a page. So Emily Claire Hughes, freelance copywriter, is open for business (with a new website coming soon. In the meantime use the contact button if you want to get in touch.) Maybe I’m here to be a writer.
And every afternoon, when I walk outside after work to the scrub-laden mountains on one side, and the crashing waves on the other, and set out for a run to clear my head (and super stash those endorphins, let’s be honest), I always wonder “why here?” I love going to the gym. No (real) gym here. I’ve been adopted by the Portuguese spin class in town, even though I only understand half of what’s being said. (When in doubt, ratchet up the resistance.) Speaking of which, I took to both German and Spanish languages very well. Like, way better than the average American. Portuguese? I’m pathetic. But I’m in lessons, and you can bet your bottom dollar that my tush shows up with enthusiasm to spit out nasal-y, drunken-Spanish-sounding words.
And uh, to be blunt, I’m a city girl. At the moment, I’m living among goats and surfers, none of which I would say represent my niche. I live in a town most people dream of, so I’m not complaining. But I loved living in Germany. And for a few years, I was completely enamored with New York City. Maybe “here” isn’t exactly where I’m meant to be.
But bottom line, I’ve committed the next year of my life to exploring the “why.” I’m creating women’s business groups, opening myself up for more freelance opportunities, travel-blogging the hell out of some Christmas markets (stay tuned!), and suffering through spin classes I half-understand. But it’s awesome. It’s thrilling. And no matter what happens, I think these years of my life will be some of the most memorable.
So yes, I’m slightly lonely, with plenty of coffee dates, and a lot of plans. I’m an American singer/dancer/writer/blogger who landed in Portugal, and posts some really nice-looking Instagram pictures of life abroad. Maybe I’m not meant to be here forever. Maybe I am. But at the end of the day, does it really matter? Because this journey doesn’t need a justification. The “why” is at the end of every run I finish along the coastline, with crashing waves below. It’s in the successful ordering of a local coffee (cafe pingado all the way) and a snack, in my broken Portuguese. And it’s in every day trip I take to explore the Portuguese countryside in my sputtering Smart Car, stopping at adegas (vineyards) and taking home locally-made olive oil.
I’m meant to be here. Maybe for unknown reasons. Maybe not forever. But in the meantime, I’m making the most of what’s important: