Phil Gold

Bureaucratic Adventures (But Made Surprisingly Efficient)

Now that the moving portion of the adventure is more or less complete, it’s time to start examining life in Valencia! If you’ve ever moved countries, you probably carry a certain emotional scar tissue, inflicted not by the packing, not by the flights, but by the paperwork. Forms you didn’t know existed. Appointments that needContinue reading “Bureaucratic Adventures (But Made Surprisingly Efficient)”

Unburying, Unboxing, and Unpacking the Madness

There’s something oddly archaeological about unpacking after an international move. It’s like excavating the ruins of a long-lost civilization. In this case, though, the ruins are your own belongings, mummified in bubble wrap and cardboard, and labeled with cryptic runes like “Ornaments” or “Decorations.” Armed with box cutters and a cautious sense of optimism, KristieContinue reading “Unburying, Unboxing, and Unpacking the Madness”

Delivery Day: Stair Drama, Missing Boxes, and a Cat on Patrol

We skipped our last glorious breakfast at the Only You August 4th because the movers were scheduled for 8:00 AM. This was a mistake. At 10:00, two guys finally rolled up… and immediately went for a half-hour coffee break. Not exactly the high-energy start I’d imagined. Only two movers? For 222 total items, including furniture?Continue reading “Delivery Day: Stair Drama, Missing Boxes, and a Cat on Patrol”

Ten Days of Limbo: Living Between Two Homes

Arriving in Valencia felt like the hard part was over. We’d made the drive, survived a day in the car with Lexie and the birds, and had the keys to our new apartment in hand. All that was left was to wait for our things to arrive. In my boyish optimism, I thought a weekContinue reading “Ten Days of Limbo: Living Between Two Homes”

Road Trip Wednesday: Lisbon to Valencia in One Day

We rolled out of Lisbon for the last time at 6:45 in the morning, the city still quiet, the summer light just starting to stretch across the rooftops. We’d come over from the hotel around 6:00 to get the car loaded: small bags, one guitar, the cat carrier, the bird cage, and a few miscellaneousContinue reading “Road Trip Wednesday: Lisbon to Valencia in One Day”

Moving Day: Two Days, a Cat in the Bathroom, and a Road Trip Ahead

Moving is supposed to be a single day of chaos. Ours? It turned into a full two-day production. But after a lot of cardboard, and one very patient cat, we were officially in motion. The move was set to begin at 8:00 AM Monday morning, 21 July, and we were as ready as possible. WeContinue reading “Moving Day: Two Days, a Cat in the Bathroom, and a Road Trip Ahead”

This Is It!

The boxes are packed, the internet’s about to go dark, and we’re almost ready to hit the road. After months of dreaming and planning, and a couple of preliminary visits to get things ready, it’s finally happening: we’re leaving Lisbon and heading to our next adventure in Valencia. The move itself is a mix ofContinue reading “This Is It!”

The Emotional Logistics of Goodbye

I’ve said it before – I love Portugal, and I will always be grateful to the country for allowing us to pursue our dreams. Portugal is the country that initiated the Sephardic Repatriation programs in Iberia, and it’s the one that honestly wanted to make amends for past injustices. Without that, I doubt we wouldContinue reading “The Emotional Logistics of Goodbye”

Portability is a Myth: Why I’m Still Paying for a Portuguese Phone Number

In my last post, I mentioned this briefly, but it’s worth diving deeper. When people talk about moving to different countries, there’s always lots of conversation about house-hunting, and residency bureaucracy, and the costs of moving household belongings, and so on. But something that gets little attention is that your entire digital identity is chainedContinue reading “Portability is a Myth: Why I’m Still Paying for a Portuguese Phone Number”

Remaining Sane While Divesting

This isn’t necessarily a Valencia-specific post, but it’s something that’s been eating up time and brain cells during our relocation prep. I suspect a lot of people will be able to relate. When we’ve moved from one place to another, we always spend a little time in deciding what comes and what doesn’t. Part ofContinue reading “Remaining Sane While Divesting”