As I wrote yesterday, I have booked a ticket to Lisbon, Portugal and will spend part of today filling in more details for my adventure. I must say that when I woke up this morning and thought about it for a second, I had a fleeting moment of panic. What have I done? It was kind of like the day after they delivered my Harley in April and I walked into the garage the next day and saw it standing there. I had the same reaction. What have I done? I think they call that ‘buyer’s remorse.’ That said, I’ve grown quite fond of my Harley and have enjoyed riding it and am certainly glad I took my trip over to the coast.
Any momentary trepidations about taking this scouting trip to Portugal quickly faded after I read the latest blog from Heather Cox Richardson1 about what is currently going on in Hungary and how it somewhat parallels what is going on here in the United States. I also thought about the book that I am currently reading, “I Alone Can Fix It; Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year,” by Pulitzer Prize winning authors Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker. I have read a lot of political books over the last 18 months but this is perhaps the scariest and most depressing. Anyone who believes that Trump is fit to be president of this country (or any country) should read this book. I don’t know how anyone could read this and conclude that this man is fit to be anywhere near the levers of power.
So, I will plow ahead with my plans to explore places where I might be comfortable being a full or part time ex-pat. I would be lying (and there is enough of that going around) if I said I wasn’t concerned about how COVID might wreak havoc on my trip (or me!), but I just feel like it’s time to press ahead. The 2022 elections are a little over a year away and I want to be well down the road of making this transition if I choose to do so. If the Republicans retake the House and/or the Senate in 2022, things in Washington DC will come to a screeching halt, and more concerning is the fact that the outcome of the 2024 election will be almost a foregone conclusion given all of the gerrymandering and voter suppression activities currently underway.
I was reviewing some of the postings I wrote last year and it was clear to me months before the election that Trump would not accept the results of the election and allow a peaceful transition of power. I hate to say, “I told you so, “but I told you so. Nothing that happened leading up to the election nor any of the events that happened after the election, including the insurrection attempt on January 6th, should have been a surprise to anyone who was paying attention. Unfortunately, there are two forces at work in this country that will continue to contribute to the rise of the type of authoritarianism that has taken hold in Hungary and Belarus – both ostensible democracies.
The first is the large segment of the population that have fully bought into ‘the big lie’ and all of the attendant conspiracy theories, many of whom are ready and willing to resort to violence to “make America great.” (Translate that to read ‘white, Christian’ akin to what is going on in Hungary) The other thing at work is the ‘this could never happen in America’ mind set. It is happening and just like it was blatantly obvious that Trump would never accept the results of the election, it is very obvious that there are forces at work in this country which intend to make America a democracy in name only when, in fact, they desire it to become an authoritarian, one-party oligarchy. I would like to be wrong – but I’m pretty sure I’m not.
Enough of that. Back to Portugal. First of all, for anyone contemplating moving overseas full or part time, I recommend the publication, “International Living”. It’s a small, monthly publication that has articles covering difference aspects of living in virtually any corner of the world. Who ever thought about retiring in Uruguay, but it’s an interesting option. The bottom line is that there are tons of options out there that are worth exploring.
As this upcoming adventure is shaping up, I have already learned a few interesting things. Some car rental companies in Portugal may impose a surcharge for drivers less than 25 and over 70!! Since I will turn 70 in September, it looks like I may be paying a little more for a rental car in Portugal. Some countries, including Portugal, require an International Driver’s License. In the pre-COVID days, you could just run down to your local AAA office and get an international driver’s license. Surprise – not so true now. Many AAA offices are no longer processing International Driver’s Licenses. However, there is an alternative.
The American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)2 will process an International Driver’s License. It can be done online and only costs about $20. I submitted my application by mail and my international license was returned to me in about two weeks. I now have an International Driver’s License with a motorcycle endorsement – look out!!
In addition to continuing to flesh out my trip to Portugal today, I have to cancel a trip I planned in late September to go hike the West Highland Way in Scotland. I would love to make the trek but the majority of people who make this trek do so in the summer when the weather is better. I finally came to my senses and decided that hiking by myself across the Scottish Highlands at a time when there was a significant increase in possible inclement weather was probably not a wise idea. One of these days if I can find another fool to go with me, I may put that hike back on the agenda for next year. We’ll see, but for now, on to Portugal.