In Our Experience
Many of us shy away from drastic change but for these three women, it was just what they needed
‘MOVING ABROAD CHANGED OUR LIVES’
Deborah O’Grady, 51, moved to Portugal in August 2023 with her husband, Jonathan, 50, and their 14-year-old daughter Maya. Deborah is the founder of Home, through which she mentors women undergoing rapid transformation in both life and business.
After Jonathan and I got married 18 years ago, in Spain, we talked about wanting to live abroad. But then life became hectic. We both had careers; we then had a baby, time flew and, before we knew it, she was in school.
We began to feel disillusioned and trapped; it felt like life had become a treadmill. We were worn out and working long hours, and Maya wasn’t enjoying school as she once did. Jonathan and I had an honest conversation and admitted we felt bored. We wanted a different life: a life where we would be living more rather than having more. Could this be the moment we think about moving abroad?
We discussed the possibility with Maya, then 13, and, while she was initially taken aback, she was also excited. At first, I think it was too great a change for her to imagine. But I suggested we should explore places to live as a project and see where it takes us. So, we first went to Spain, but it felt too much like a holiday destination. Then, because Jonathan and I both work online, we began to explore which countries offered digital nomad visas that allow you to work remotely in a foreign country. Portugal ticked that box, and we chose Lisbon because it’s a great entrepreneurial hub and it offered the combination of city and beach.
By this point, Jonathan had left his corporate job and retrained as a life coach, and I’d closed down a successful brand coaching business to set up my new business, Home.
Financially, everything was against the move, but it felt right in every other way. I was determined that if we put the wheels in motion, everything would fall into place.
We booked flights for a research visit and within a day of returning, put our house on the market. Fulfilling our dream included further visits, looking at areas to live, visiting schools, selling our house, car and most of our furniture, and sorting our visas. Letting go of our security was daunting, but we never lost sight of what we wanted.
Telling our family and friends we were leaving was hard, but they were supportive. In this digital age, distance isn’t a problem and Maya is always FaceTiming her friends in the UK.
Who knows where we’ll end up next. For now, we are settled in Lisbon, and renting gives us the freedom to not get tied down in one place. The language barrier i
