Whew. Hi!
Needless to say, I’m back in the USA and have been for a few weeks now. Truth be told, I’ve really struggled to find the words to really encapsulate this entire experience and have needed some time to let it sink in. Apologies for the delay.
So let’s rewind back to April 4, shall we?
Originally, I was supposed to fly from Lisbon to Washington, DC, and then onto Indy, to spend Easter with my family, then back to Tampa. In a crazy unexpected turn of events, my flight to DC was delayed causing me to miss my connection to Indy. So instead, I had to connect in Toronto, of all places, then onto Indy – and this was the only viable option to get me to the Hoosier state around the same time.
I had very complicated feelings about returning to Toronto, a city I once considered my second home and loved very much. I hadn’t been back since my old life blew up and never thought I could or would even want to ever go back. The ghosts of my old Toronto life made their presence known as I was navigating the subway in Lisbon and felt the city-going version of myself re-emerge. It stung the heart a little. But the universe is a funny little shit sometimes so I think that diversion was trying to tell me that I could handle it. And as strange as it felt when I arrived, I did.
In the name of self-care, I decided to upgrade my ticket to business class and fly like a priss on the eight-hour flight to Toronto. I had originally covered my original ticket back home with points so I didn’t mind the upgrade charge. Just the lounge access (complete with free food and drinks!) and expedited security line itself were worth every penny. And I could have easily been on that plane another eight hours. It was fabulous.
When we finally arrived in TO, I breezed through U.S. customs to make my flight to Indy (shoutout to Global Entry!). Fortunately, my layover was around two hours so I didn’t have to stay put in the Great White North too long. Plus at that point, my jet lag was starting to set in so I was really getting too tired to give my awkward, kinda-sorta second homecoming too much thought. I just didn’t have the mental energy.
And just like that, I was back home in the USA! My fam and I had a great time over Easter, complete with countless silly face selfies and loads of Portugal souvenirs auntie-style. It was fun teaching Miss A and Mr. E how to give a family toast in Portuguese – “À nossa” meaning “To ours” and show them pics of my trip.
After five days in Indy, it was finally time to head TF HOME! I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I was ready to come home or if I was sad to leave Portugal. The answer is both. I missed my friends, my golf cart, the warm Florida breezes, the epic sunsets, and more. And honestly, I could rattle off a whole list of things I’m missing right now about Portugal. But in the end, I belong here in the Sunshine State… at least for right now.
I want to give a special shoutout to the lovely lady below – my incredible friend and neighbor, Jen. She was the keeper of all things Megan while I was gone, getting my mail, keeping my garage/golf cart keys, starting my car, picking me up from the airport, etc. Thanks to her, I had so much more peace of mind leaving my life behind for a while. She is one of the BEST humans I know and I’m so so lucky she’s in my life!! Love you Jen!
Through it all, I was never scared. Nervous? Yes. Anxious? Yes. Thinking I had lost my mind? Definitely. But never scared. I think when you go through a tremendous amount of shit that you think should kill you, nothing (or very little) scares you.
Even though this experience had been on my heart and mind since 2016 and was a long time in the making, I will never have to wonder what it’s like to travel/work abroad for an extended amount of time. I will never have to wonder if I can survive and thrive with only myself to rely on in another country. I will never have to daydream about it but remember my time there with a full heart and an extraordinary amount of gratitude.
I also want to give you all the biggest, heartfelt “obrigada” for following me along on this adventure. Your comments, messages, and encouragement kept me going and meant the world to me.
So, even though this will certainly not be my last post (I’ll be writing some follow-ups and recommendations), I leave you with this:
In the end, all of us will look back on our lives and say one of two things…
“I wish I had” or “I’m glad I did”.
I am beyond “glad I did”… the question is what can’t I do now? :)
Amor e luz (love and light),
MW
I enjoyed following along with your trip and are back in the US. I am not sure I would be as brave to travel out of the country but I do go on adventures by myself in the US.
I really enjoyed seeing your pictures and hearing about your trip. Glad you are home safe and sound. Best wishes for your future. I am sure it will be awesome as you are a brave woman!