But what if? 

But what if…? It’s usually the first thing people say when the conversation turns to the changes I made in my life. When I tell them I moved to Portugal. When I talk about choosing a slower, simpler way of living.

But what if you miss your family and friends? What if a loved one gets sick? What if you don’t find a job? Or what I also hear a lot: “I’ll do that when I retire”. Or “I’m too old to make changes now.”

Too old to start again with a low budget. Too old to make new friends. Too old to find love. Too old to begin from scratch. The thing is: all of these fears are real. But also… not really.

I used to believe I had it all figured out, my whole future nicely planned. I knew where I was going, or at least I believed I did. And yet… here I am. Completely started over.

What I’ve learned is this: no matter how much you think, overthink, or plan your life, life will always find its own way to unfold. In its own timing. In its own logic. Often in ways that don’t match the plan you had in mind.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not here to promote a wild, reckless approach to life. Some solid planning can be incredibly satisfying. Comforting, even. (I say this as a lifelong overthinker :-))

But thinking has its limits.

You can plan yourself into safety, but not into the feeling of being alive.
You can overthink your way into control, but is that control really making you happy?

At some point, something else begins to speak. Following your gut doesn’t always mean throwing everything away. It means digging a little deeper. Listening beneath the fear. Noticing that little voice that doesn’t shout, but always persists.

And often, it’s a relief to let your heart have a seat at the table too. Not to replace your mind, but to sit right beside it.

Different ages, same questions

Recently, I had some beautiful conversations with girls in their twenties. And what struck me most wasn’t how different their lives are from mine, but how familiar their questions sounded.

The same doubts. The same uncertainty. The same fear of choosing the wrong path, of starting a life that might not fit, or hurting the people you love while choosing what you really want.

Different ages, different circumstances, but the same inner struggle.

It reminded me that the question “Is it too late?” doesn’t come in a certain phase of life. It pops up whenever we’re standing in front of change.

I guess it’s never too early and never too late to start over.
Maybe fear isn’t a sign you’re doing something wrong, but a sign you’re beginning. Beginning with choosing you.

Paying attention

Going with the flow of life doesn’t mean drifting around.
It means paying attention. It means noticing when something inside you is quietly asking for a change. And maybe starting over isn’t about creating an entirely new life.
Maybe it’s about returning, again and again, to what feels true. To what feels YOU.

While rereading this blog post I wrote a few weeks ago, I realise how much has already changed again. New plans, new ideas, different energy. That too, feels very much like Portugal to me: learning to flow with life, instead of overthinking.

Those new plans? I’ll share more about them soon on Instagram.

Oh, and there is a small new beginning too on the website: super excited about my little shop with prints from slow life in Portugal 💙