Portugal - The Art of Letting Go

They say the best way to get through something is to go through it. I didn’t fully grasp this truth until I decided to quit my job without a safety net, no plan B in sight. Leaving everything I left behind was my plan A and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen on the other side. 

Before this journey, my life was a relentless pursuit of meeting expectations—those of my parents, my job,  and society at large. I had been working since I was 15, constantly worried about making everyone else happy. But deep down, all I felt was disappointment—disappointment in myself for not living up to some undefined ideal that wasn’t realistic. 

When I finally let go of everything, I had nothing left to lose. But that didn’t make it easy. I cried almost every night, feeling like a failure, weighed down by the sadness, resentment, and anger I had held inside for so long. It wasn’t just about quitting a job—it was about letting go of a life that no longer fit me.

Writing became my salvation. I poured my heart out onto the pages, sometimes writing all night. Unravelling my emotions, my fears, and my hopes through the words I wrote.

Portugal wasn’t the final stop on my journey, but it’s where I began to see a shift in my perspective. Change is gradual, and it’s often the culmination of everything that came before. In Portugal, I started to let go of the past and embrace the possibility of a new future.

Finishing the first draft of my book in Lisbon was a pivotal moment in my life. Initially, I set out to write it with the hope of guiding the next generation, aiming to help others. But as I wrote, something unexpected happened—the process became more deep.  The more I wrote, the more I felt this weight come off of me, shedding all of the emotions that I was holding on to. Instead of merely fulfilling an external mission, I found an internal satisfaction that I hadn’t anticipated. For the first time, I accomplished something purely for myself. It wasn’t about meeting anyone else’s expectations; it was about discovering my own voice and reclaiming my sense of self.

In completing that project, I found something I hadn’t felt in years: hope. Hope for a better future, hope that I could move forward, hope that I could build a life that was truly mine.

Letting go didn’t happen overnight—it took time, reflection, and a willingness to embrace the unknown. But in the end, I discovered that time, with all its relentless forward motion, can be a powerful ally if you’re willing to move with it. 


Pivotal Moments in Portugal 

Yoga Surf Camp - A Surf camp I attended before settling down in Lisbon 

Monte Agudo Viewpoint - On top of this Viewpoint there was a man who had a little coffee stand. Here is where I finished the last chapter of the book.