Expat: Leaving the USA For Good

In an unprecedented time of turmoil and political chaos creating personal conflicts and public crises, increasing numbers of Americans are moving out of their country for a better, more peaceful life ... and to enjoy a higher standard of living at lower costs.

The U.S. State Department estimates that nine million Americans are living abroad. And the emigrant exodus is rising!

It's one thing to travel the world with a USA passport … quite another to actually live in – not just visit – "foreign" countries.

EXPAT details the differences.

Gains and losses. Trials and tribulations. Physical upheavals, emotional pathos. Rules and regulations, peculiar processes and protocols. Bureaucracy and red tape. Finances and household budgets. Conflicts, crises, challenges. Special satisfactions. Unknown languages and lingos. Assorted hodgepodge.

All told, with color and candor. 

https://www.amazon.com/EXPAT-Leaving-Bruce-H-Joffe/dp/B0D7ZB9H2J/ref=sr_1_2

Spanish Towns, Portuguese Villages:  A Journal for Expats and Immigrants

Moving internationally is a series of experiences: Physical. Logistical. Emotional. Mental.

Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s easy. 

The two key resources are patience and persistence. 

You’re not going to find them in most tour guides or travel books. Because learning to live abroad is experiential. You must partake and process it.

Especially in Portugal and Spain.

Whether expat (planning to return to your homeland), immigrant (you’re staying and not looking back), or tourist and visitor, it’s the daily rhythms and traditions that will make or break you.

In Expat: Leaving the USA for Good, award-winning journalist Bruce H. Joffe wrote about his motivations to leave the USA and emigrate to Iberia, where he divides his time between Spain and Portugal.

Spanish Towns, Portuguese Villages continues his story of "foreign" experiences and anecdotes following the move and several years of residency. 

If you're considering relocation to Portugal and/or Spain, this is the book that will prepare you. 

And if you're already living in Portugal or Spain, you'll enjoy comparing your life abroad with his.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCCSLFTS

Fado & Flamenco:
Living Abroad in Portugal and Spain

A few curiosities comparing Spain and Portugal:

⦿ Shops are closed, and people generally don’t work on Sundays in Spain; in Portugal, they do. So, especially along the border, you’ll find many Spaniards in Portugal on Sundays, expecting the Portuguese to understand Spanish.

⦿ Portugal is loud, but Spain is louder.

⦿ Spanish drivers are bad; the Portuguese worse.

⦿ Right turns on red lights are illegal in both Spain and Portugal.

⦿ Sales tax (IVA) is usually 23% in Portugal v. 21% in Spain.

⦿ The “Mediterranean Diet” is commendable, but don’t expect many Spanish or Portuguese people to follow it; younger ones, especially, prefer MacDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and KFC. It’s not just junk food but the corporate bite.

⦿ Over 50 years ago (September 1975), the first Burger King in Europe opened its doors in Plaza de los Cubos, just off Madrid’s Plaza de España.

⦿ Hollywood and other English movies are shown in their original language with Portuguese subtitles; in Spain, these movies are dubbed in Spanish.

⦿ Spain can’t hold a candle to Portuguese pastries and bread, while nothing quite compares to delicious Spanish tapas for their price and diversity.

⦿ Secondary roads in Portugal need some repairs; in Spain, they’re downright dangerous … with very short passing zones before curves and elevations that are impossible to see past.

⦿ To reside as retired in Spain, one must prove “passive” income of about US $28,000 for the “pensioner” plus $8,000 per dependent. None of your family can work … even remotely. In Portugal, you need to deposit at least one year’s minimum wage in a bank account or document that you receive at least that amount each year through retirement income. Paid over 14 installments per year, the national minimum is approximately €1,073.33. Anyone can work in Portugal once granted a visa and residency.

⦿ For flexibility, ease of operation, and sheer number of functions it can perform, Portugal’s award-winning “Multibanco” system puts to shame American ATMs. Spain doesn’t have a direct equivalent to Portugal's Multibanco system, but it does have a payment and instant transfer service called Bizum.

⦿ Thinking about buying rather than renting? The price of property is comparable in both countries. The difference, however, is when it comes to finalizing the deed. Depending on location, for instance, transfer taxes can range from 6-8% (€6,000-€8,000) in Spain, a hefty sum when purchasing a €100,000 property. Add to that legal, notary, and registration fees, and you’ll be spending at least 10% on top of the purchase price. In Portugal, if it’s your primary residence in the country, you’d pay 0% transfer taxes for properties costing up to €101,917. Legal and notary fees, along with administrative expenses, are added on … but, by and large, they are lower than in Spain.

From Fado & Flamenco: Living Abroad in Portugal or Spain

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HBNGHW75 

Portugal's Pastel de Nata

"Before anyone starts dusting off their virtual pitchforks, let me be clear about this: I know that, for most people visiting Portugal, the pastel de nata is the safest option.

"It reminds me of those people who go for brunch all the time during their time abroad because they don’t want to try new foods, because it’s trendy, and because they tend to look down on the food that’s different from what they’re used to.

"Sure, the pastel de nata offers a flavour-safe combo of flaky, buttery pastry with a creamy filling, without being too sweet or too big. A 10 out of 10 for non-adventurous people who want to try something local and share pics on Instagram to show they’re also trendy and have done what everybody else is doing – boringly performative.

"But to be honest, I really don’t get it. Yes, it’s good, but is it *that* good?"

https://beyondlisbon.wordpress.com/2026/06/29/beyond-pastel-de-nata/