Welcome To Living In The Sun

In the summer of 2008 I moved out to the Algarve in Portugal to experience a new style of life with my husband Dominic and young son Kyle. Deciding to move abroad is always a big decision to make, and it can be a daunting prospect for anyone, however it has been extremely rewarding experience for us, and one that has changed our lives for the better.

There were many different factors which prompted us to move to the Algarve, not least so that we could experience the slower pace of life which comes with being part of the beautiful Portuguese culture, one which is so very different from the British way of life.

Although we are now very settled, and have just about mastered all of the various aspects involved with moving to a new country and getting setting up, this was not an easy task for us, partly due to the lack of relevant information available at the time. We had great difficulty sourcing information on how to go about setting up, organizing, and even just finding out about some of the seemingly basic tasks which we had to carry out. There are already a number of expats living in Portugal, although a large proportion of these are in the over 55s age group, which meant much of the information we were able to find was not entirely relevant to our younger family needs.

There are various forums in existence to help expats find information on living in Portugal, however due to the demographic of the average user, there was a distinct lack of information on things which were relevant to our particular situation, such as how to declare yourself as self-employed, how to find a good school, how to enroll a child into a Portuguese school, how to find a good broadband supplier, and many other things besides, which we simply could not find information about. We were at times, left feeling very lost and helpless, and this often added to the stress of the relocation.

With perseverance, patience, and a lot of help from the local people, we have now managed to learn about all of these things, plus a whole lot more which we did not even think would prove difficult prior to moving here. The Portuguese way of life is extremely laid back and to an outsider looking in, or trying to get things done, it may seem extremely unorganized. This is actually not the case, and there are systems and processes in place to enable you to move out here and set up your new life with ease, it is just finding out about how to do it that is difficult, especially if you do not speak the language.

It was the difficult experiences and the feeling of desperation which we reached at times that inspired us to start the Living In The Sun site. We want to provide others who are in a similar situation to our own, with the help and support that we could not find so readily available. Having experienced the problems ourselves and overcome them, we feel like it would be a great idea to make this information available to others seeking to follow their dreams with a move to the beautiful country of Portugal.

There are a growing number of younger families like us moving out to experience the great way of life that is on offer in Portugal, whose needs are often very different from the older generation of retired expats living in the country. For us at least, we have moved here to create a new life, earn a living, immerse ourselves in the local community, and integrate our children into the Portuguese culture, and doing so meant that we had to jump in at the deep end and learn as we went along.

Although much of the focus of the site will be on the Algarve area, as this is where we live and have direct first hand experience of, most of the information will be just as relevant to those of you who are moving to different areas of Portugal.

If you are currently experiencing difficulties adjusting to a new life, or are still in the planning stages, it may be extremely useful for you to read through the site and pick up as much information as possible. You would be amazed at the amount of seemingly simple tasks that you perform everyday in the UK, without any problems at all, yet when you move to a new and unfamiliar place and you are trying to communicate in a different language, these tasks can prove to be very difficult. Much of the time, once you have found out what process you need to go through or where to find the correct information, things can become a whole lot easier.

We aim to provide you with all of the information you could wish to find out about living in Portugal and all that comes with it. We will be updating the site and blog in order to pass on any information that we learn, as we continue to discover more about Portuguese living with each passing month.

The best advice we can give to anyone moving to Portugal, as I’m sure is the case with any new country, is to learn as much as possible about the country that you are moving to, and learn the language as quickly as you can. Learning the language and trying to communicate whenever possible with what little you have learnt is the key to fitting in and getting help from the local community. It does not matter how much or little of the language you know, so long as you show willing when trying to communicate, you will more often than not, be met with a positive response.

Some of the information contained within the Living In The Sun site includes subjects such as:

The Living In The Sun site is divided into a number of sections so that it will be simple to navigate the information will be easy to find. As well as informational pages for resolving practical problems and issues, we aim to provide help for those trying to learn the language, fit in with the local community, bring up children, run a business, and meet friends. You can find specific information for a problem or simply browse through the site looking through some of the interesting articles at your leisure.

Our website is divided up into the following six sections:

Online Shopping – One thing that we have found particularly difficult to get used to since moving here is the availability and cost of certain items in Portugal. Online shopping has proved to be a lifeline, although it has taken us a long time to find the cheapest and most reliable online shops that will post items out to Portugal. We share our knowledge of these online shops in this section of the site and aim to make the whole process much easier and less time intensive for you.

Learn Portuguese – Learning Portuguese is essential for anyone wishing to live in Portugal, and the quicker you can learn the easier your life will be. There are a number of different techniques to learning a new language and each person will find their own way of learning effectively. I will be sharing my Portuguese learning diary in this section, as well as publishing some useful lessons and tutorials that will help you to deal with some common situations.

Our Blog – This is where we aim to keep you updated on our weekly and monthly experiences, trips out, visits to restaurants, and anything else that we do, which may be interesting or useful for others to know about. Although we have been here for a few years, we are still continuing to learn more about the area and the way in which things work out here, and will continue to pass this information on to you.

Eating Out – Eating out in a new area can sometimes be a difficult task, as you are relying solely on your instincts to guide you to a top notch restaurant and avoid eating in a place that you would never like to return to again! We enjoy eating out and have tried and tested a large number of restaurants in the Algarve area, and would like to pass on our knowledge to you. We like to eat out as a family most of the time, so can advise you on a number of great family friendly places to eat out.

Our Articles – This section of the site is where we impart the knowledge we have gained on various different subjects to you. There is information here that you may find useful when trying to set up your new home, enroll in schools, apply for local services, register yourself for tax purposes, and give you help on driving in Portugal, among many other things. These tasks are often one off things, and it can take you as long to find the information out by yourself as it can to actually solve the issue at hand.

Algarve Direct – Algarve direct is designed to be THE place to go and find out about local businesses in the Algarve region. The business directory will enable you to easily and quickly locate the businesses and services that you require in the area. The Living In The Sun Team aim to provide an easy to use page that businesses and locals can use to connect with each other and benefit from each others needs. Finding the right company for your needs can be a difficult task sometimes, and we aim to make that task a little easier.

Portugal is a special place, and life here has been a real adventure for us, with the highs definitely outweighing the lows. I am so glad that we decided to move here, and would advise anyone else who is looking at doing so themselves that it could be the best decision you ever make. The only thing that we regret is not moving here sooner!

We hope that you will take the time to look around the Living In The Sun site, and that you will find the information contained informative, interesting, and useful. To keep up to date on the latest developments, news, tips, and stories, please sign up to our newsletter.

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