Begin Again

  When the impossible happened in 2016, I began to seriously consider a move away from this country where I no longer felt at home, and over the course of four hellacious years, I obsessively researched possible landing places–places where people mattered more than profits, where basic needs (food, shelter, health care) were recognized as rights, not privileges, where I could afford to live comfortably (if not lavishly), where I could make a new home for whatever remained of my life. Again and again, Portugal presented itself as that place. Portugal was warm and people-centered, welcoming, affordable, and safe. Steeped in a rich history, building toward a better future for all, it seemed like a real possibility. I had to find time and means to go there, to experience the reality. My friend, Catherine, who had spent some time in Portugal (and loved it), offered to be my travel companion, and we began looking for a good time to go. But life: I went back to work, first just to help ou...