Thank you Lena, Meghan Goodman, Holly, Jill Carter, and many others for tuning into my live video with Nancy Whiteman! Join me for my next live video in the app.
Episode Summary
What happens when you leave your country in the middle of a global crisis, not for adventure, but for peace of mind?
In this episode of Your Expat Life LIVE, I speak with Nancy Whiteman, a retired sales executive who left Philadelphia in 2020 with her wife and moved to Portugal, sight unseen. What began as a three-to-five-year plan turned into a complete reinvention of how they live, age, and connect with their community.
Nancy shares candid insights about making big decisions during political unrest, rebuilding life in a new country at 71, and discovering a slower, more intentional way of living. From healthcare revelations to renovating a 100-year-old building to learning Portuguese one mispronounced sentence at a time. This episode is equal parts real talk and real hope.
Guest Info
Nancy Whiteman is the writer behind Expat in Portugal, a Substack where she shares what it looks like to start over in a new country later in life.
She writes about everyday life, from building community, navigating language, and dealing with bureaucracy. The best part is she does it with humor and heart. From breaking her elbow in a bike accident to going head-to-head with city hall over trash cans, Nancy’s stories give you the real picture of expat life: messy, meaningful, and completely worth it.
EPISODE OUTLINE
00:00 – Welcome + Why This Series Exists
Sonaya introduces Your Expat Life LIVE and her own journey across Denmark, the UK, and Qatar
Why we’re telling real stories of families living beyond borders
03:00 – Nancy’s Exit: Leaving the U.S. During a Pandemic
How political unrest and COVID-19 sparked a sudden relocation
Why Portugal, despite never visiting
The surprisingly easy visa process and the mindset shift that made it possible
10:00 – “We Thought We’d Go Back…”
What changed after 11 months
The biking accident that revealed Portugal’s healthcare strength
Buying and renovating a 100-year-old union hall
20:00 – Reinventing Community and Lifestyle Abroad
Cultural adjustments: timeliness, town square concerts, and kids playing at midnight
The gift of safety and independence in daily life
Creating friendships across language barriers
30:00 – What Life Looks Like Now
A slow, beautiful rhythm of beach walks, art, and travel
Retirement in Portugal vs. the U.S.: real cost comparisons, healthcare, taxes
Her take on learning the language and when respect matters more than fluency
45:00 – Substack, Trash Cans, and Fighting City Hall
The hilarious story behind her viral neighborhood campaign
Why she started Expat in Portugal and how it became a 6,000-reader community
What she misses (and doesn’t) about the U.S.
55:00 – Advice for Future Expats
Why visiting first is wise but not always possible
Financial realities and planning ahead
What she’d tell anyone considering this life and why she has no regrets
