💗 The One Thing That Makes Expat Life Easier

Happy New Year, friends! 🎆 💗

I wrapped up December by reading an incredible book by Garry Keller called The One Thing. Whether you’re building a business, a family, or a whole new life in another country, the idea is the same: real progress doesn’t come from doing everything, it comes from focusing on the right thing, consistently.

Keller asks a deceptively simple question:

“What’s the ONE thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

So I asked myself that question as an expat.

What is the one thing that would most impact my happiness and adjustment to life in Portugal in 2026?

The answer was clear: learning the language.

Make really learning the language your number one focus for adjusting to life here, and everything else will be easier, I can guarantee it. Not because I’m speaking from fluency, but because I know the cost of not having it.

Because I’ve lived the moments where not knowing Portuguese made everything harder than it needed to be:

In every one of those moments, knowing the language would have reduced stress, confusion, and that familiar feeling of being an outsider.

So as we look ahead and set our intentions for the year, I genuinely believe this: if you make learning Portuguese your one thing for life in Portugal, almost all other aspects of your life here becomes easier. Not perfect. Not effortless. But clearer and more connected.

That’s why today’s newsletter is all about learning Portuguese in a way that fits real life.

Here’s what we’re covering today:

Let’s make 2026 the year we stop waiting to feel ready, and start showing up anyway 💛

Let’s dive in, shall we?

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The Espigueiros de Soajo are a striking cluster of 24 communal stone granaries perched together on a huge granite outcrop at the edge of the village of Soajo, inside Peneda‑Gerês National Park. The oldest structure dates back to 1782, and they were built raised on stone pillars and slabs to keep corn safe from damp and hungry rodents while serving as a shared storage space for the whole community. Crowning many of the roofs are stone crosses, reflecting how everyday agricultural life and popular religiosity were tightly intertwined in this remote mountain area. Today the ensemble is protected as a heritage site, some granaries are still used, and visitors can walk along the “street” of espigueiros with sweeping views over the surrounding serras, making it feel like an open‑air museum of rural northern Portugal.

Later this month, I’m hosting our first conversation with an expat psychologist, focused on the emotional and mental side of building a life abroad, the part many of us feel least prepared for.

Want to help shape the conversation?

I’ve created a short reader survey to understand the topics you most want support with. While the form does collect email addresses, your individual responses will be treated as anonymous and shared only in aggregated, non-identifying ways.

Your input will directly influence the questions I ask so this conversation reflects real expat experiences, not generic advice.

The survey touches on topics such as:

Help me ask the right questions.

👉 Add your voice to the survey and help guide the conversation by clicking here.

Learning Portuguese (or any new language) is one of the most evidence‑backed things an expat can do for long‑term health and day‑to‑day wellbeing, and there are a handful of concrete tactics that reliably work for adults.

🌐 Learning Portuguese Without Pressure: Your Guilt-Free Guide (online)

I hope you enjoyed the mini practice download. If it was helpful, let me know: would you like to see one of these each month?

This week’s video recommendation comes from Dave in Portugal, who perfectly captures the cultural quirks of life here: the funny ones, the frustrating ones, and the ones you eventually learn to love. His takeaway is simple and spot on: learning Portuguese is one of the best ways to feel more settled and more local. Press play and enjoy!

A quick check-in on real expat life. 👇

Let’s have a little fun and take the pulse on language learning with a quick poll. You might use a mix of things, but what’s your main go-to for learning Portuguese right now?

Want to finally learn European Portuguese in 2026 with confidence, clarity, and a structured plan?

In today’s video, I’m sharing 5 essential tips that will help you make real progress in Portuguese, avoid overwhelm, and finally start feeling confident when listening, speaking, and understanding native speakers.

Whether you're a complete beginner or you’ve been learning Portuguese for a while but still feel lost… this video will give you the exact steps to move forward.

🗣 Want to learn more phrases like this? Check out Mia’s free Portuguese course “Kickstart Your Portuguese - The Basics”.

💡 Mia from Mia Esmeriz Academy is a Portuguese teacher from Porto with more than 15 years of experience teaching foreigners. She helps expats become fluent in Portuguese in a clear and practical way. Alongside her courses, she also shares free content on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Thanks for reading! 💌

Hustle on!

Angelique🧞‍♀️

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