“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living; heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” – LR Knost
The past two years, since we bought our land, has been a rollercoaster ride for us. We’ve dipped into highs and lows both physically and emotionally. At times we felt elated. Spurred on by the excitement of embarking on a new dream, we laboured and planned with a sense of joy, no matter how tired our bodies became. Other times we felt demotivated when the enormity of the project made us feel we bit off more than we could chew. And in between these two extremes, we simply lived through the monotonous daily chores of work and home. It is the ordinary and mundane and routine that makes up most of our life, after all. And with that the hours passed into days, weeks and months.
Building progress often felt too slow, too overwhelming, too much. Language barriers, humorous at times, often teetered on the brink of becoming a frustration, and cultural nuances more often than not, left us grappling with the power of our own imagination when we longed for progress updates.
Looking back we know that we’ve managed to do a lot during those scattered trips lasting no more than two weeks at a time. Communication happened regardless of our own limitations, and our belief in the good of humankind triumphed over our fears.
When, in November, we received an e-mail with photographs (and a bill) from the Electrician, who managed to contract various skilled artisans on our behalf to complete the ceiling and dry-walling, paint, tile the bathroom, pave outside, and build a stone retaining wall around the olive tree next to the house, we felt elated. And just like that, our little house started to look like a more complete version of the one we said goodbye to in September.
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And in this way, slowly but steadily we are ticking off more and more boxes of the various things we need to be in place to obtain our habitation licence. When the Electrician has finished his part of the job, it really is just the rest of the flooring and the kitchen that need to be done. At least that’s what we think.
Michael has just signed another two year work contract with the company he works for and started his visa renewal process. Mine will follow early in the new year. This will pretty much set the tone for 2020. Encounters with officialdom and lots and lots of paperwork.
After having lived in the UAE for almost a decade we are familiar with the process. It is easy and painless. Portugal, on the other hand, is still a bit of a mystery to us. For now, this is how we think it will go. When we receive our habitation licence, I will need to apply for a special visa from the Portuguese Embassy here in Abu Dhabi. What exact paperwork we need for that remains to be seen. Once issued, I will move to Portugal. And if everything works according to plan that will be at the beginning of May. After three months of fulltime living there I can make an appointment at the local SEF* office, where, if we have all the paperwork they require, I should be issued with a residence permit.
2020, no doubt, will be an interesting year for us. One filled with change and new adventures. At least for me. Michael will be stuck in our old life. Working hard to save money for that workshop he would love to build. We will have to get used to spending more time apart, but hopefully this sacrifice will lead to setting up more of the infrastructure we want on the land. And as everyone who has done this before says “infrastructure costs money”.
Written by: Jolandi
* SEF – Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras
Well done you two. You have achieved amazing things on your land and overcome many hurdles. There will be many more to follow, but thats life. All the very best to you both for 2020 and keep us updated please. M
Thank you so much, Monty. We will. May 2020 bring to fruition all those contracts you have worked on so hard these last couple of years.
PS. We still owe you an email! Coming soon to an Inbox near you . . . 🙂
Well done Jolandi and Michael! Truly blood, sweat and tears have been shed to progress your beautiful dream. It all looks really beautiful. I love the quote at the beginning!
A very Happy Christmas to you both!
Peace and Love
Alison and Tony
Uk
✨xx
Thank you so much Alison and Tony! We are so grateful that it looks like everything is finally coming together. There are so many projects we can’t wait to begin, but I guess taking one day at a time is the best philosophy to have for now. Hope you are enjoying the Holidays with family. Blessings and love to you for 2020.
The quote also touched my heart, Jolandi, and it’s one we should read frequently, especially when the sailing isn’t so smooth.
Your house looks lovely. I hope you will be able to finish the remaining projects to your liking.
May the dreams and visions for 2020 come true for you and Michael.
Happy new year.
Tanja
I completely agree with you, Tanja. It is a quote to re-visit often to keep one grounded. We wish you a lovely and prosperous 2020. – Jolandi
Thank you!
Well done, you both! I remember when this was just an dea and Alex helped you to start it.
By the way, I’m living in Setubal!
Can’t wait to witness this beauty with my own eyes!
May 2020 bring you the plenitude your are searching for.
Cheers!
It will be so lovely to welcome you to the land, Ewans. We hope you are enjoying your new life in Portugal. May 2020 be a year full of blessings for you.
Congratulations Jolandi & Michael, great job, wishing you a Happy New Year!!!
Thank you, Paulo. Hope 2020 will be a great year for you.
Hello Jolandi,
The quote is amazing, and rings true on so many levels.
This may sound silly, but I found myself getting emotional when viewing the most recent photos of your home. I am so happy for both of you. I’m sure that only you and Michael know what it took to get to this point. But so glad that your hard work and human cooperation is coming to fruition!
It looks like 2020 will be yet another exciting year for both of you. Wishing you both continued health, love and blessings!
All best,
Takami
The quote is one of my favourite quotes, as it is such a good reminder of the rhythms of life. These days with social media we often only see the highs, which really gives the wrong impression of how it is weighted in the bigger rhythm of life. Thank you so much for your support throughout this project. It means a lot to be supported by a community of friends from so many different parts of the world. We hope you and your husband are enjoying your house and that everything is now the way you’ve always dreamed of. May you both receive many blessings in 2020. – Jolandi
wonderful achievement you two have experienced as foreigners building on a dream site. Well it shows that hard work and dedication is the key to making dreams come true. The challenges are extraordinary at the moment Jolandi but before you know it you will be dozing off under one of those olive trees on a balmy day with a book on your lap.
May the year ahead continue to unfold in more pleasant experiences
love to you both
Nanette
I like the picture you sketch about dozing under an olive tree with a book on my lap, Nanette. That is one of the things I’ve been dreaming of doing for such a long time, and 2020 will definitely see it come true. I have many years ago bought two hammocks in Cambodia, and finally we will be able to put them to use. Thank you for your lovely wishes. I hope 2020 will be a gentle year for you.
Much love, Jolandi
It will definitely be an interesting year or two for you both, I see! You are a team and I am sure you will get through any difficulties that lie ahead with aplomb and emerge at the end of it all feeling really good and with a lovely house as well!
I love the encouragement and faith you have in us, Clare. That is so heart-warming, and something we really appreciate.
That outside shot, in particular, really shows progress! The whole thing is very exciting to follow; I hope the next phase, including your relocation, goes nice and smoothly. Sending good wishes for a happy 2020 and all the changes it will bring!
Thank you for the lovely wishes, Lex. We trust that our encounters with officialdom will be smooth sailing. May 2020 bring you joy and adventure.
My goodness. What a great leap forward from the last post gyprocking the internal walls. The paving! No more schlepping through dirt and mud in and out of the house and having to clean up afterwards. It makes the whole thing looks so much more advanced, doesn’t it. And what a find in your electrician. Someone you can trust and who communicates. It augurs well for 2020.
It does indeed, Gwen. We are particularly excited about the paving for exactly the reasons you mention. And it makes the whole house look more ‘finished’. Michael will be grateful for that paving when he visits in January, as winter is also the rainy season. – Jolandi
Happy New Year! What fabulous news and the progress is inspiring and exciting. 2020 will definitely see changes for you and Michael, but hopefully filled with more highs than lows and finally realizing your dream of life in Portugal.
Thank you, Terri. And a very Happy New Year to you too. It feels wonderful to see how years of planning and work is finally coming together. We also hope there will be more highs than lows this year, especially as we will spend a lot of time apart, which will have its own set of challenges.