“I like to believe that life is half-light, half-shade.” – Fernando Pessoa
Any big transition is filled with uncertainty and stress, but making one now currently has an added layer of ambiguity, as official rules can change in the blink of an eye. So, when the Immigration Lawyers strongly recommended, a week before my scheduled departure date, that Michael fly with me to avoid problems at immigration, a flurry of extra activity ensued. It calmed some of my fears, but made Michael’s stress levels jump through the roof, as returning to the UAE is no longer the painless, straightforward process of pre-pandemic days.
I was very much aware that I was saying goodbye to my life in the UAE. After almost a decade of life there everything I did over the last two weeks felt like it was for “the last time”. There was also a lot of packing, sorting and discarding. I had to take all my winter clothes and the things I considered ‘essentials’ with me. The rest of my things were packed in boxes for Michael to later send or bring, as he will see his work contract out, which comes to an end December 2021, before joining me in Portugal.
I always imagined that I would be leaving the UAE with Etihad Airways, using some of our frequent flyer miles to upgrade, enjoying the journey in style. But as Etihad has no direct flights to Lisbon, and transiting through another European country was either difficult or impossible, we had no choice but to use Emirates and fly out of Dubai, economy class.
An added task was that we had to, less than 72 hours before our flight, schedule an appointment to get Covid-19 tests done, a process, which in the UAE is at least a simple drive-through experience with a result in about 12 hours. The results, printed and stamped, were carefully placed in the folder with all the other important documents I thought might come in handy or were destined for Immigration in Portugal.
When the time came for me to say goodbye to our two cats, and wheel my suitcase out of our apartment, it was difficult to swallow back the tears I didn’t even know were hiding in my heart. Driving out of Abu Dhabi, I was leaving familiarity behind, blurring the landscape flitting past the windscreen. As it turned out, spending the night at a hotel in Dubai, the place in the UAE I have the least affinity to, took the edge off leaving, allowing me to get some sort of grasp over my emotions.
After a relaxing evening and a couple hours of fitful sleep, we got up just after 3am to head to the airport, as we were uncertain what to expect. The airport felt ghostly and unfriendly, and although it normally feels suffocating behind the mask it felt even more than usual that I was suffocating behind my mask, even though the staff were competent and friendly enough. Everything proceeded smoothly until we were boarding the plane.
Despite the fact that Michael was standing next to me, I had to produce his Portuguese residence visa, our marriage certificate, and confirmation of my appointment with SEF (immigration in Portugal), which the airline official duly photographed after he did a quick Google search. Pre-pandemic I would not have been scrutinized, as I have a Schengen visa valid for a year, but because of all the different travel restrictions issued by different countries, third country nationals like me from countries which are not on the EU’s list, are not allowed to enter this part of the world, unless one is a spouse or a family member from a national or legal resident of the territory.
After dealing with this official, the next one, after double checking our negative Covid-19 test results, asked for the forms we had to complete for the Portuguese health authority. Despite the fact that the lady who checked us in thought we should have been issued a form by the official whose job it is to do so depending to one’s end destination at the start of the check in queue, and who even went with us to double check once we were checked in, we were assured that there were no forms for Portugal. I’m not overly fond of airports or flying, despite my love of travel, and I absolutely hate it when through the negligence of others, something is unexpectedly demanded of me, as my brain tends to shut down under those conditions. So when we were given a website link and told to complete that before boarding, I did my best to focus on the task at hand, but the form was long, and demanded an unending amount of information, all the while seeing the last of the passengers pass by us. It was more than what my nerves could take, and when Michael added that I should get a hold of my emotions if I wanted to avoid the risk of not being allowed to board, I could just as well have been a deer caught in the headlights waiting for the unavoidable crash. He at least knows me well enough to ask two other staff members if they could please arrange for us to be issued physical forms on the plane, which they quickly assured him was not a problem at all.
By the time I sunk into my seat, I felt exhausted and overly emotional. Trust me, sobbing behind a mask is not something I recommend.
While Michael is used to 8-10 hours a day of mask wearing, it was my first. I had to work really, really hard to suppress my normal feelings of claustrophobia, so when we finally arrived in Lisbon, I was relieved that the arrival process was quick and easy with no added questions or documents required.
All we had to do was to collect our rental car, find the lawyers’ offices, and negotiate the unfamiliar roads to our overnight accommodation just outside of Lisbon. Lady luck gave us a parking space in front of a wine shop/bar, where we could purchase not only wine, but a bottle of Champagne to celebrate this major landmark on our journey once we were on our land.
NOTE: Michael spent a week with me, in which time we managed to buy a car, sort out the Internet, take care of various small things, and spend time getting two Covid-19 tests done for him, as we were uncertain about the time it would take for him to get the test results.
As Dubai and Abu Dhabi have different entry requirements, Michael spent the first two weeks of his return to the UAE working from a site office located in the Emirate of Dubai, instead of immediately going home, being fitted with a tracking bracelet and stuck inside our apartment for two weeks. Yesterday, he finally made it home much to the joy of our two cats, who didn’t let him out of their sight and slept close to him last night.
My sister, who lives in Spain, spent three weeks with me to provide emotional support and a means of transport. The fact that she is fluent in Spanish for example helped a lot when we bought the car, as the salesman couldn’t speak English, but Spanish.
Written by: Jolandi
Congrats on the huge step in the right direction!!!
I wish you both, in due course, all the best in your very own piece-of-paradise-on-earth.
Thank you so much, Alex.
And thank you for all those phone calls and translations you’ve done for us in the build-up for this new chapter.
I’ve even used a drilling machine for the first time . . . celebrating learning new skills! 🙂 – Jolandi
Congratulations on making it to Portugal. What a huge change and at stressful times, but all worth it.
Thank you, Peggy. It is definitely worth it. We both believe that sacrifices are always rewarded in the end, as long as one keeps moving forward.
Well done Jolandi on the next step of your life long journey of adventure. I really enjoy the brief escape from reality through your words and am eagerly awaiting the next installment. Despite your fears, you are very brave and an inspiration 😘
Thank you so much, Anna. Your words mean a lot to me. I love the encouragement we receive from our little community of supporters, as it strengthens our resolve to move forward every time things are tough. I hope we can welcome you on our land one day when the world has quieted down after all the turmoil. In the meantime, I will post every Sunday from now on to report on what is happening here. Take good care of yourself. – Jolandi
You have certainly been on an emotional rollercoaster, but you have arrived and maybe you can start to breathe, relax and settle in. Enjoy your new home and the beauty of your land. What a gorgeous picture. Hopefully the next year will go quickly for you both and Michael will be settling in to Portugal. Keep us posted on how you are doing.
Thank you, Terri. I’m finally taking time to relax and breathe, pacing myself carefully, as there will always be a lot to do on the land. The house is slowly starting to feel a bit more comfortable, even though it is not quite finished yet. I’m also surprising myself with learning new skills (blog post will follow), and I’ve made a commitment to post an update every Sunday. – Jolandi
My goodness, Jolandi! What an awful experience you had at the airport! I am so pleased all that is behind you now and that you are safe in your new home. I wish you and poor Michael the best of luck during the next year and a bit until you are both together again. <3 🙂
Thank you, Clare. I really am very relieved to finally be on the land. The last couple of months were quite stressful, and travelling during the pandemic is not a joy. But all’s well that ends well. 🙂 – Jolandi
Well done you two, its been such an adventure so far and in reality “Its just the beginning of a new chapter in your lives” Its been great reading your fascinating updates and if there are any more I would like to continue receiving. All the best.
Thank you, Monty. What a journey it has been so far! At least we’ve reached a new chapter, as it started to feel like I was never going to get here. I’ve committed to post every Sunday, as life here is most definitely not dull. 🙂 – Jolandi
Phew! What an emotional journey. All the best for the future in your new home in Portugal.
Indeed, Kathy! I’m just so glad I can start to relax and ease into a quieter life. Although that said, I had to force myself to take is slow yesterday, as there is a lot to do. – Jolandi
welcome
Penamacor is a good place to be during a pandemic.
I leave here the link to check the status of each municipality. I’m sorry but it’s only in Portuguese
https://covid19estamoson.gov.pt/
Thank you, Manuela. And for the link too. Luckily Google Translate is a helpful tool, especially during these times where rules change all the time. I hope you and your family are well and safe. – Jolandi
Wow – you are there! I’m glad being on your land and in the house you have worked so hard on is bringing you happiness after the difficulty of making the transition. I am terrible at goodbyes, and the only thing that salves that pain for me is a new adventure. I hope the next year goes quickly and that the world straightens out enough to allow you two to be together on occasion during that wait. Best of luck in your new home; I look forward to every single post on your new life!
Finally!!
Thank you for your lovely wishes, Lexie.
There is still a lot of activity in and around the house, but I am slowly finding my feet and making a little nest for myself.
I suspect I will never run out of things to write about, but I will limit myself to one post a week. 🙂 – Jolandi
Bem-vindo na Europa, Jolandi! (Or so I think it is in Portuguese).
Super happy for you guys and well done for finding a bar selling champers. I’m writing you from Linate airport after having gone to the funeral of a friend, but this is great news and I’m super happy for you guys. Looking forward to being able to swing by in Portugal!
Fabrizio
Oh dear, that is not the way one wants to travel, especially these days, Fabrizio. It is a reminder though that life is precious and that we should make the most of it while we can. I’m really relieved and happy to finally have made it to the land. Everything is still a bit upside-down, but we’ll get there in the end. I have all the most important things sorted out (at least I think so), and the rest will come when they come. I’m looking forward to the day the world finds its balance again, and you can swing by . . . In the meantime, take good care of yourself, and good luck with the new lockdown measures. – Jolandi
I picked up your blog via Dreaming in Arabic via a comment on Turtle Doves on Clare Pooley’s blog where I had also commented!
I’m amazed at the speed with which you’ve managed to do things. It took us much longer (years in fact) to get sorted and through officialdom in Spain. If wordpress? will let me do it, I’ll give my wife’s blog below, if not something else and I’ll put it here anyway. we were ‘coronavirused’ (stuck!) in Spain for 6 months, leaving via Portugal where we have a flat, and now ‘lockeddown’ again in the UK, probably until after Christmas before we return via Portugal to pick up the car. May you have Turtle Doves too!
navasolanature.wordpress.com
I love the roundabout way you found our blog, Trevor. The reason I enjoy blogging as much as I do, is the people (and their stories) one gets to know in the process. I have followed the link to your wife’s blog and has just started reading. Thank you for making contact. We are still in the process of finishing the work in and around the house (which is at times very frustrating), so that we can get our habitation licence, so your words “I’m amazed at the speed in which . . .” caught me by surprise. It reminds me to be grateful especially when I feel overwhelmed with frustration at the slow and haphazard way things are getting done here.
I can’t believe that you are stuck in another lockdown. It feels like the world has gone mad. Good luck with dealing with another round of being ‘coronavirused’. My we all survive with our sanity intact!
I hope we will have Turtle Doves too. What a lovely wish. – Jolandi
Jolandi and Michael I am humbled by what you have had to go through just to get your own patch in a relatively safe country. It shouldn’t be that hard. It is only an accident of birth that I and others have had the unthought about (until your journal) luxury of choices in where and when we live. The stresses and bureaucracy you have had to negotiate from the beginning of your dream to have a place in Portugal would have floored most people. So hat’s off to you both for staying sane (now hopefully) and staying together through all the trials and tribulations. Well done that girl! And guy!
Your words bring tears to my eyes, Christina. Our lives, who we are, and what we consider ‘normal’ are in so many ways determined by where we are born. Michael and I are lucky that we had the opportunities we had that brought us to Portugal. Although there are still many bridges to cross, the sense of peace we experience when we are on the land, and the fact that Portugal is a safe and welcoming country, give us the courage to face the obstacles and challenges that come our way.
It has been a stressful couple of months, and I’m still waiting for important paperwork to be finalized in South Africa I need for my appointment at the end of November with immigration as part of my application for my residence visa. Once that is done, I will definitely write a blog post on that process (and buy more Champagne) – it has a good couple of twists and turns, so it should make for some interesting reading. I’m just holding thumbs that the last bits of the puzzle will fall into place without any additional drama.
All the best for your new life.. awesome..
Thank you, Lisa. There are still many challenges we are facing, but such is life. Better to take a risk than not.
Welcome to Europe and Portugal. It seemed a bit traumatic but glad no problems on your arrival. I find most portuguese very friendly and helpful and many do speak some English. Our area of Spain is mainly fast Andalusian speakers. Hope all is going well and Portugal has managed the pandemic very well so far. We are in the U.K. at present and stuck here in another lockdown. We were stuck in Spain as there were no flights and our rural area also hardly affected by many cases. Look forward to more of your adventures.
Thank you, Georgina. We have been very surprised at the amount of Portuguese who speaks English – often really good English at that. That has been such a relief many times when we had to do big things, but we’ve also worked with only Portuguese speaking people, which has made our experiences so far very interesting to say the least. I suspect it will take a while to learn Portuguese, but both Michael and I plan to put a lot of effort into it.
I hope you don’t mind too much being stuck in the UK for another lockdown. I hope that we can even meet one day in the future, when things settle down in the world. Until then, happy adventures, wherever you are. – Jolandi
Welcome I now realise Trevor, my husband found you through Clare! Hope all goes well and pandemic aside you can settle in and find new friendships.
Yes! I love how he found me, Georgina. And thank you. I trust I will, and like you’ve mentioned in another comment, it is most probably much nicer to be in a rural area during these times. – Jolandi
I was anxious for you all the time I was reading that account. I am sure that is one experience you are glad is behind you. Although it is sad you and Michael will be separated, but that is so often the lot with ex-pat employees. At least when he can come again, the house will have that lived-in welcoming feel.
Good luck with what is ahead of you now. The landscape between Abu Dhabi and rural Portugal could not be more of a contrast. And I guess your winter clothes from the UAE will be perfect for summer in Europe LOL.
I really am quite glad that that part of the whole journey is behind me, Gwen. It has been a busy couple of weeks (lots to write about), but things are slowing down a bit now (unfortunately so are the workers, who need to finish the underfloor heating!). At least the house is well-insulated, and I have an electric heater, which keeps me warm in the meantime. Thank goodness I kept quite a bit of winter clothes, when I left South Africa 9 years ago! Like you say, the landscape (and weather) cannot be more different between Abu Dhabi and rural Portugal. It is rainy and cold today, so I’m forced to work on writing projects indoors. I’m quite excited about the complete change of weather. Like you say, at least next time Michael visits, the house will have a lived-in feeling. Thank goodness for technology, as Michael and I chat via Zoom daily. Plus, when he first moved to the UAE, 6 months passed by without us seeing one another, and it was another 8 months after that that I joined him. And hopefully in December or January our two cats will join me. – Jolandi
I realize terrorism and the pandemic have forced governments and the airlines to be extremely cautious about who gets to fly internationally, but the grief they cause to the traveler who just wants to get from point A to B! I’m so glad you’re finally in Portugal, in spite of all the problems and sadness. (Will the cats eventually join you, or will they have to find new homes in the UAE?) Moving by itself is such a pain; I can only imagine how tough it was to move to another country. Take care, and many good wishes on your life’s journey!
Me too! It still feels a bit unreal at times that I’ve finally made it here.
The cats will hopefully join me in December or January, Hangaku. As some sort of good omen, our vet in Abu Dhabi is Portuguese. We’ve forged a very good relationship with him when we had to go through the trauma of a lenghty period of illness, which eventually resulted in having to put our first adopted cat down. He cried with us, but also rejoiced when our current two, Midnight and Lily found us and crawled off the street into our hearts.
Moving countries definitely has its challenges, but I’m convinced it is the right thing to do, which helps to soften the edges. – Jolandi
OMG, what a poignant story. I could feel your emotions—leaving your cats, the airport ordeal, the claustrophobic mask…I smiled at the part where Michael requested the paper forms. So stressful filling out those darn things on a phone, even at the best of times. I got a giggle (sorry) about sobbing behind a mask…and I thought a simple runny nose was bad enough.
Cheers to your exciting new chapter! All the best to you Jolandi as you get settled in Portugal.
I’m so glad to hear that you think filling out forms on a phone is stressful even at the best of times, Caroline. It makes me feel so much better about my meltdown. And you are completely forgiven for giggling about me sobbing behind my mask. What a mess! Not something I’m planning on doing again anytime soon. 🙂 – Jolandi
I am so happy that everything turned out quite well, despite the slight hiccups, and you are now in Portugal! I can imagine the emotions you felt when you left the UAE — 10 years is enough time for us to get truly connected with a place and grow fondness of little things we might have overlooked if we only stayed for a while. Now, we have two things to look forward to: the day when this pandemic is over, and when Michael joins you in your new home. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy, Jolandi!
The places we live really become an integral part of who we are, and like you say we grow a fondness for the little things. It will be interesting for me to see what it is I miss the most. One thing I already miss are those early mornings I spent on the water in my surfski, and the balmy winter weather.
Thanks for your kind wishes, Bama, and following me to this site. (Just have a look at your emails, as there is a double opt-in set for this site. I should perhaps take the chance to change it to a single opt-in. The amount of spam that filters through, unless one has super-strict settings, are quite shocking when hosting a website like we do now.) – Jolandi
Oh my god. Yes. Crazy all the regulations right now. I’ve been following it for friends returning to Thailand and those stuck here as well as I know folks on both ends. Most of my friends have returned at this point, but yes, the paperwork, tests, timing, costs, it’s hell on wheels.
But you did it! Happy for you two and congrats on your next chapter… xxoo
“Hell on wheels” – what an apt description, Lani.
Yes, I’ve made it, and I’m so grateful that I can’t leave Portugal for the next couple of months until I have my residence card. It isn’t something I would like to repeat anytime soon, although poor Michael will have to endure that at least two or three times next year. Fingers crossed things will have improved by then! – Jolandi
So many times I’m sure you’ve imagined actually being at home in Portugal. Seeing a dream slowly shape into reality is a spiritual experience, even amid the chaos. I am so thankful your husband was able to trek through the traveling muck with you; there truly is comfort in numbers. I’m imagining all your delicious olives and stories to come. Bless you, my friend. Esteja em paz na terra.
Thank you, my dearest Sarah. I have indeed imagined being at home in Portugal so often, that it still feels a bit strange and unreal, even though I’ve been here almost a month now. I’ve never thought of ‘seeing a dream slowly shape into reality’ as a spiritual experience, but I think it is true.
Although we’ve come so far, it really is only just the beginning of our journey, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter. Already the peacefulness of the land is seeping into my soul, and I love it.
I’ve been eyeing the olives glistening black in the rain, and researched brining recipes, as there is not enough for an oil pressing this year. So many new skills to learn and things to try!
– Jolandi
Oh I feel your pain, well partly! Business class is the very least you deserved after the ordeal at the airport. Thank goodness you can put it behind you now and enjoy your new life. Much love xxx
Indeed, Elaine. 🙂
I hope you and Pip are well and coping with your next lockdown.
Take good care of yourselves.
Love, Jolandi
I could relate to your anxiety while reading through your experiences, Jolandi, but I’m so glad you arrived and Michael returned safely. Hope you are getting settled in.
Best wishes,
Tanja
I am, Tanja, although it sometimes still feel that I want to pinch myself, as I think I must be dreaming.
Luckily I’ve come to the realisation early that there will always be work to do, so I’m learning to start my mornings slow – to relish the beauty of dawn and my environment, and to allow myself time to reflect, before tackling whatever is most important on any particular day. – Jolandi
Yesss, it’s done! Welcome to the rest of your life. I wish you too a happy reunion and to all of us a calm winter, no matter how impossible it sounds right now. Tuscany enters red zone tomorrow.
Thank you, Manja. Good luck with your new round of restrictions. We also have some coming into effect tonight in the municipality where we are, which means the last bit of work on the house (slow at the best of times) are coming, yet again, to a frustrating and grinding halt. – Jolandi