On September 3, 2023, I stepped off a plane with three suitcases and my 3-year-old puppy, ready to begin a brand new life in Portugal.
It all began the year before. In April 2022, I came for nine days, mostly just exploring, mostly just dreaming. But by day two or three, walking the cobblestone streets, feeling the Atlantic breeze, and tasting my first pastel de nata, I felt it in my bones: this is where I belong. My heart whispered it even before my mind could understand it.
A year later, in April 2023, I returned for five days. This time, it wasn鈥檛 about sightseeing鈥攊t was about claiming space in a life I had only dared to imagine. I found the apartment that would become my first home, the place where I would plant roots and begin to grow in ways I hadn鈥檛 anticipated.
Then, on September 3, 2023, I took the leap. I left my children, my family, and a corporate career behind. I didn鈥檛 speak the language. I barely knew the country. And yet, I trusted the quiet voice inside me that said, go anyway.
Along the way, the universe brought extraordinary people into my life at exactly the right moments. Shar Wynter, whose journey on the Blaxit Global Podcast and creation of the Xpat App inspired me, showed me what was possible. Amylee Silva, whom I first met in a virtual course of over 2,000 people in 2020 when travel wasn鈥檛 possible, became my first Portuguese friend when we finally met in 2022. Those online connections, forged during a pandemic, proved even stronger in real life鈥攑roof that the right people show up when the timing is right.
As a little girl, I always knew my future was abroad. I thought it would be New Zealand鈥擨 scouted it in 2017 and again in 2020. But as fate would have it, Portugal captured my heart.
These two years have been transformational. I鈥檝e unearthed hidden parts of myself, healed long-buried wounds, and grown in ways I never imagined. I鈥檝e built community, made lifelong friends, and helped nearly 30 people make their own leap to Portugal鈥攕tarting with the first brave group of 12 through Blaxit Global Passport. Thank you for trusting me, the woman behind the mic.
I鈥檝e also embraced the richness of my host country. I studied Portuguese and earned my A1/A2 certification. I鈥檝e been blessed with kind and generous neighbors, and I鈥檝e discovered a freedom, peace, and ease here that I never imagined possible.
In just two years, I鈥檝e:
- Hosted events that brought our community together in beautiful, unforgettable ways
- Been featured in outlets including TRT Worldwide, AARP, Slate France, Reuters, and more
- Built powerful collaborations and become a sought-after voice on moving abroad and Black expatriation
This year, I鈥檒l celebrate five years of Blaxit Global with a yacht party and a meetup with my Exodus Summit sisters鈥攇rateful for the community we鈥檝e built and all that鈥檚 yet to come.
Looking back, I see a pattern in my life: I鈥檝e always taken risks. Most of the time, they worked out. And when they didn鈥檛, the lessons shaped me in invaluable ways. Today, I鈥檓 entering a new season鈥攁 story still unfolding鈥攁nd I鈥檓 savoring every moment of it.
I love my slow mornings, long walks, delicious meals, and the peace and ease of life here. In just two years, I鈥檝e traveled to ten countries, deepened my understanding of myself, and gained a sharper perspective on my home country. Every challenge, every so-called setback, only prepared me to stand stronger, freer, and more joyful than ever before.
What was designed to break me became the path to uncovering my true self: an audacious woman with big dreams, a bigger heart, and the courage to start over.
This isn鈥檛 the end of the story. In fact, it feels like I鈥檓 just getting started.
Here鈥檚 to new chapters, bold leaps, and the unfolding of a life well lived.
