Thank you very much for your comment and, above all, for taking the time to read my article. I simply wrote what was on my mind without realizing how lengthy it had become. It’s interesting that you bring up the tendency, especially among Americans, to describe everything with an almost exaggerated positivity that often strikes me as artificial and incomplete.

This mindset seems pervasive, and it’s something I often notice in my American students who live here in Portugal. Despite being physically here, they often don’t speak the language and still view Portugal through the lens of a postcard filled with beaches, sun, and wine, and little else.

You only have to browse YouTube to find countless videos made by ex-pats describing their version of life in Portugal. But whenever I watch these videos, I can’t help but think there’s nothing in them that truly captures what life here is like in any meaningful sense.

The fact that many of these people don’t speak the language—and some even deliberately avoid engaging with locals—creates a barrier that keeps them living in a world apart, halfway around the globe.

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if something truly unexpected, like a crisis or a war, occurred here; they might be completely taken by surprise, unable to comprehend the reality of the place they supposedly call home.

Once again, thank you for your kind words. Lately, I’ve felt like my readers have vanished, and that sense of disappearing into silence can be quite isolating.

But knowing that someone so far away is not only reading my work but finding it helpful in navigating their own challenges is incredibly heartening. Your message has given me a renewed sense of connection, and for that, I’m truly grateful.