Hello, again!

Long time no see, am I right? 👋
It has been so long that it feels awkward to type anything Porty’s Diary related.
As if I got disconnected from this platform; yet, I miss it every day.

My last post was back in February 2021. We’re currently in March 2023 and SO MUCH has happened (and changed) that I somehow feel the need to introduce myself again LOL

So, first things first:

Ola! I’m Barbara, a Portuguese ex-pat living in the Netherlands, with my Mr. A and Cooper boy.
And this is all I have in common with my 2021 version.😅

In the past 3 years, life (and the world) changed so much that it is hard to pick a starting point for said changes.

So let me address the elephant in the room:

“Why did I stop writing/posting?”

Simply put, I had no energy to do so or felt I had anything relevant to share.
The second part of this sentence is very unfair, but it’s how I felt.

Fewer travels than expect, social media platforms changed in a way I wasn’t able to catch up, and obviously, the limited amount of free time to write good comprehensive blog posts like I used to do.

The pandemic was responsible for the travel part mentioned above.

But the lack of time was a consequence of working too much to the point I was almost burning myself out.
Now I can see it, and recognize it. But back then, I didn’t.

As I mentioned in my Goals for 2021 post, I wanted to grow my business. And so I did.

At the cost of my own sanity, obviously, but I did it!
From the outside, many did not understand what was going on.
I frequently heard comments like “you are always working…” or “that business of yours is going THAT well”

And yes, it did go well because I gave ALL of me to it whilst working a full-time job.

Looking back, for about two years, I worked an average of 60 to 70h a week, both jobs combined.
This led me to the no energy/time part mentioned above.

Long story short, after my summer break in 2022, I decided it was enough.
I could no longer keep doing that or I would destroy myself, my relationships, and ultimately, everything I had been working towards – my freedom!

Sounds crazy, that to reach said freedom I became a prisoner of two jobs, endless hours behind a pc, and turned into the person I always said I never wanted to be: a workaholic.

So yeah, I had to make decisions, tough ones starting with the obvious one:

I could only keep one job.

And I went to for my business instead of my full-time (“secure”) job.
This decision should have been made earlier on, but I wasn’t ready to “take the step”.

Not until I realized that my mental health was going down the drain every time I had to be at my workplace. No money can pay for that…

So, after some talks, I stopped my assignment at the company I had been working for and took a sabbatical year.

BEST
DECISION
EVER!

Currently, I’m solely dedicated to my business which makes me a million times happier.

I make my own time, decisions, and business plans, and finally, I have the freedom to work from anywhere I feel like.
And that is something I learned to value ever since the world changed due to the pandemic.

I no longer want to be bound to an 8-5 pm schedule or a desk.

So yeah, this is what I have been up to for the last 2 to 3 years.

A few travels here and there (that I have yet to share with you), but now the option for travel and working remotely is a fact!

What else can I ask for? Oh, I know: more travel! 🗺️

For now, I’m just happy to be back and actually looking forward to updating this blog which I so dearly missed.

Stick around, drop your comments (and questions) below, and…

I will see you soon!

B.