Postcards from Elsewhere
Curated inspiration, travel insight, and your monthly reminder that life is meant to be experienced.
What One Year in Portugal Taught Me
A year ago, we stepped off a plane carrying more than just our luggage.
We carried excitement, uncertainty, and a healthy amount of chaos.
Furniture was being delivered to a house that still didn't quite feel like home. The kids were about to start school in a new country. We were learning a new language, navigating unfamiliar systems, and wondering if we'd made the biggest, bravest, or craziest decision of our lives.
Thankfully, we weren't alone. Before we even landed, a few incredible people had already begun welcoming us into our new community. Looking back, that kindness made all the difference.
This past year hasn't been perfect.
There have been moments of overwhelm, homesickness, and wondering if we were missing too much back in the United States. We missed birthdays, weddings, graduations, Friendsgivings, and watching the girls we coached in soccer grow into confident young women. Sometimes I wonder if they'll remember us the way we'll always remember them.
Living abroad means gaining a new life while grieving pieces of your old one.
Both can be true at the same time.
But somewhere between learning to eat dinner at 9 p.m., walking to the mercado for fresh meat from the butcher and fruit from the local stands, strolling to appointments instead of always driving, and taking an entire month off in August to simply be with family...something inside me changed.
Portugal is teaching me that life doesn't always have to be lived at full speed.
Back home, it often felt like productivity was a badge of honor. Phones stayed on. Calendars stayed full. There was always another email to answer or another task waiting to be checked off.
Here, I've watched businesses close for lunch so people can actually eat with their families. Some shops shut their doors for part of the summer because life happens outside of work. Success isn't measured only by how busy you are or how much money you make.
It's measured by how well you live.
That's probably been the biggest lesson of all.
There have been moments while growing Mystical Traveling when I've thought it would be easier to return to a corporate job. More predictable income. More security.
But every time I imagine giving up this life we've built: the slower mornings, the evening walks, the friendships we've found, the opportunity for my children to grow up bilingual and surrounded by different cultures, I realize that more money isn't always worth giving up what matters most.
Ironically, I have less anxiety today than I did a year ago.
I've become more intentional about my time, more selective about who I invite into my life, and more confident in myself. A year ago, would I have had the courage to shave my head? Would I have believed I could build a business in another country? Would I have trusted my own voice enough to write these stories every month?
Probably not.
Just today, as Mark and I were driving home from a doctor's appointment, we crossed the bridge overlooking the river. I looked out the window, smiled, and said, "We live here. This is our home."
It wasn't a dramatic moment.
It was a quiet realization that somewhere along the way, Portugal had stopped being the place we moved to and had become the place where we belong.
If I could send one postcard back to the version of myself who boarded that plane a year ago, it would simply say this:
"You will have moments of overwhelm, sadness, fear, and worry. But keep going. It will all be worth it. One day you'll realize you're happier than you've been in a very long time."
Sometimes the greatest journey isn't to a new destination.
It's becoming the person you were always meant to be.
What Luxury Travel Taught Me
I used to think luxury travel meant first-class flights, five-star hotels, and Michelin-starred restaurants. Then a bungalow in the Costa Rican rainforest changed everything.
🇳🇱 Featured Destination: The Netherlands
Who Would Love the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is perfect for travelers who appreciate beautiful scenery, charming towns, rich history, and a slower pace of exploration.
If your ideal vacation includes cycling along peaceful canals, wandering through colorful flower markets, discovering storybook villages, relaxing in cozy cafés, and watching historic windmills turn against wide-open skies, you'll likely fall in love with the Netherlands.
While Amsterdam is its vibrant heart, there's so much more to discover beyond the city. Picturesque canals, centuries-old architecture, welcoming locals, and an easygoing lifestyle invite you to slow down and truly experience the destination rather than simply check it off a list.
Whether you're drawn by art, history, food, or simply the joy of wandering somewhere beautiful, the Netherlands offers a wonderful balance of culture, relaxation, and everyday moments that become unforgettable memories.
Nikki's Perfect Day in Amsterdam
I'd start the morning with a cappuccino and a fresh stroopwafel from a neighborhood café before wandering along Amsterdam's quiet canals while the city slowly comes to life.
From there, I'd spend the morning exploring the Jordaan district, browsing independent boutiques, bookstores, and local markets before settling into a canal-side restaurant for lunch.
The afternoon would be spent visiting one of Amsterdam's incredible museums or simply enjoying a leisurely canal cruise, seeing the city from the water as elegant canal houses drift by.
As evening arrives, I'd find a cozy restaurant tucked along the canals, enjoy an unhurried dinner, and finish the day with a peaceful stroll as the bridges begin to glow and their reflections dance across the water.
Amsterdam reminds me that some places aren't about seeing everything but about slowing down enough to enjoy where you are.
My Favorite Way to Experience the Netherlands
As much as I love Amsterdam, my favorite way to experience the Netherlands is aboard an AmaWaterways river cruise.
Rather than limiting yourself to one destination, a river cruise allows you to unpack just once while your boutique floating hotel carries you through some of Europe's most beautiful landscapes.
You'll experience Amsterdam's iconic canals before continuing on to charming Dutch towns, the famous windmills of Kinderdijk, colorful countryside, and picturesque villages that many travelers never get to see. Depending on your itinerary, your journey may continue into Belgium, Germany, France, or Switzerland, providing an easy way to experience multiple countries without the stress of airports, train stations, or constantly changing hotels.
AmaWaterways combines the ease of luxury travel with immersive cultural experiences, exceptional dining, beautifully appointed staterooms, and thoughtfully curated excursions. It's one of my favorite ways to explore Europe because it allows you to settle in, slow down, and enjoy the journey as much as the destinations themselves.
If you've been dreaming about exploring the Netherlands and Europe, I'd love to help you find the AmaWaterways itinerary that fits your travel style.
Ready to experience Europe by river?
I'd love to help you find the AmaWaterways itinerary that's the perfect fit for your travel style, budget, and travel dreams.
➡️ Let's Plan Your River Cruise
Nikki's Recommendation: If it's your first visit to the Netherlands, I'd encourage you to spend a few days exploring Amsterdam before or after your river cruise. It gives you the perfect blend of vibrant city life and the relaxed pace that makes this country so memorable.
🎵 On Repeat This Month:
Midnight Sun
by Zara Larsson
Sometimes a song becomes so closely tied to a moment that you can never hear it the same way again.
For me, that's "Midnight Sun."
It wasn't even a song I had on repeat before our family road trip to Spain to witness the total solar eclipse. But somewhere between the miles of winding roads, excited conversations, and the anticipation of seeing something so extraordinary, my oldest and youngest daughters started singing it together in the backseat.
It was so fun and animated...and her boyfriend and Mark were so utterly disgusted by the song that it made it that much funnier.
Now, every time I hear it, I'm instantly transported back to that drive. I can hear the girls laughing, and remember the excitement as we were making our way to see the eclipse.
It's funny how music works like that.
A single song can take you back to a person, a place, or a season of your life faster than almost anything else. Sometimes it brings a smile. Sometimes it makes you a little nostalgic. Either way, it reminds you of a moment that mattered.
I think travel does the same thing.
Years from now, I may not remember every meal we ate or every road we drove. But I'll remember my daughters singing at the top of their lungs on the way to see the eclipse. I'll remember the joy, the anticipation, and the feeling of sharing an experience we'll be talking about for years.
Those are the souvenirs I treasure most.
Not the things we bring home in our suitcase...
But the memories that quietly come rushing back every time a familiar song begins to play.
Keeda's Favorite Thing
The Little Fan That Saved My Summer
I'll be honest...I originally bought my neck fan because of perimenopause, not travel.
Between hot flashes and Portugal's summer heat, I quickly realized I needed a way to cool down that didn't involve standing in front of the freezer.
Now? I don't leave home without it.
Over the past year, it's become one of those travel items I never knew I needed until I had one. Whether we're exploring a new city, waiting for a train, wandering outdoor markets, standing in line at a concert, or chasing a total solar eclipse in Spain, it's always tucked into my day bag.
What I love most is that it's lightweight, rechargeable, and surprisingly powerful. It keeps my hands free, fits easily in my backpack, and gives me instant relief when the temperatures start climbing.
It's also become one of those things that makes me laugh. A year ago, I probably would have been too self-conscious to wear it in public. Now? Comfort wins every time.
Sometimes the best travel purchases aren't the flashy ones. They're the little things that quietly make every adventure a little more enjoyable.
If you're traveling somewhere warm or you're simply trying to survive summer like I am, this has earned a permanent spot on my packing list.
See My Favorite Neck Fan
Quote of the Month
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Saint Augustine
I used to think this quote meant seeing as many places as possible.
Now I think it means something completely different.
Travel isn't about collecting passport stamps or checking countries off a bucket list. It's about collecting perspectives.
Every destination has something to teach us.
Sometimes it's learning that dinner doesn't have to happen at 6 p.m.
Sometimes it's discovering that people can build successful careers while still making time for long lunches with family.
Sometimes it's realizing that two people can grow up on opposite sides of the world, speak different languages, and still laugh over the same meal.
Travel has a way of reminding us that our way isn't the only way.
And I think that's one of its greatest gifts.
The more we experience different cultures, traditions, and ways of living, the more empathy begins to grow. We become less certain that our perspective is the only right one and more curious about how others see the world.
In a time when it's easy to stay inside our own bubbles, travel invites us to step outside of them.
To ask questions.
To listen.
To understand.
Whether it's a weekend in a neighboring town or a journey across the ocean, every trip adds another page to our story and another chapter to how we understand the world around us.
After one year of living in Portugal, I know I've read far more than just another page.
I've started seeing the world through a different lens.
And for that, I'll always be grateful.
