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I moved from New York to Portugal for graduate school. I fell in love, got engaged, and have no plans to move back to the US.

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I moved from New York to Portugal for graduate school. I fell in love, got engaged, and have no plans to move back to the US.

I grew up in New York, graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2015, and then moved to Boston for work.

After the 2016 elections, I began to feel anxious about my safety. That’s when I startedseriously considering moving abroad. I just needed to find the right opportunity.

I knew a student visa would make it easier to move, so I thought, why don’t I apply to graduate school abroad?

Most people think graduate school is onlyworth it if it can propel their careers forward. However, I saw it as a way to gain valuable life experience and keep me in the same career field.

I had a few requirements: The degree had to be business-related, taught in English, and American-accredited. It also had to be in a country with a lower cost of living so that I could pay for my degree without taking loans.

In the winter of 2018, I found the right program. It was a two-year Masters of Science in Business program at Catlica Lisbon School of Business & Economics.

At that time, the program cost around 14,300 euros, which I had in savings.

In August 2019, I moved to Lisbon. Although I had traveled to other parts of Europe, I had never visited Portugal. I went purely on the faith thatif I wasn’t happy there, I’d return to New York once I graduated.

I got really lucky that I ended up loving it. Lisbon instantly gave me a Los Angeles vibe. The weather was hot, but the beaches were beautiful. Everyone had a relaxed attitude, and people weren’t on edge like they were in New York.

Portugal has a post-graduation work visa that grants international students a year of residence to find employment. After being on the visa for a year, I registered as a freelancer on a regular work permit and have worked as a social media manager since.

My family was surprised by my decision to stay. My dad told me that when my grandparents ask about me, he hasto remind them that I live in another country now. But I still return a few times a year for Christmas or special occasions.

In 2022, I met my fianc through TikTok. He’s Portuguese and commented on one of my videos. After two years, we moved in together in Nazar, a beach town an hour and a half away from Lisbon.

We’re planning our wedding in Portugal for August next year. We picked a venue an hour and a half away from Porto in the countryside. It’s a gorgeous historic building built in the 1700s, and we’re super excited about it.

The venue willcost $3,500 for a two-day rental, offering us the chance to have an affordable wedding.

Sometimes, I tease my fianc with the idea that once I get my Portuguese passport, we can move to Greece or elsewhere in Europe.

For now, we dream of living in Lisbon and having a summer vacation house in Greece. From the relaxed way of life, lower cost of living, and the fact that I can work remotely as a freelancer, it just makes more sense to have my life here.

I’m definitely planning on staying for the long term.

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