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“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred… Unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.” – J.W. Goethe
I am a Christian. The mere fact that I write it out loud makes my teeth hurt, as I have always maintained that one should not say the words, but rather live the life. However, that fact will inform the rest of this article, so maybe, this once, it is necessary.
It may be because of my skin color and the current government policies, but I am not happy at work. On the contrary, I have a resignation form on standby. It’s not filled out. Yet. But I know it’s merely a matter of time.
South Africa is also not a safe country to farm in. Attacks on farmers and smallholders are so common that they aren’t even newsworthy anymore, despite the horror of some of them. Some political groups go so far as to label them as acts of genocide. A scary truth.
What I have considered for some time now is to emigrate to Portugal. Portugal is a relatively safe and peaceful country, and property is still affordable for someone like me, a low-level government employee. There’s also the possibility of getting a resident’s permit via the D-7 Visa, as long as I can maintain a passive income that’s at the same level as my current salary. That’s where the blog comes in, and probably a… wait for this… YouTube channel once I become a proper “backyard farmer”.
It took a while for me to formulate things, and properly make up my mind, but now that I did, it’s absolutely amazing to experience the way in which situations and people seemingly miraculously fall into step. Obviously, a lot of prayers went into the process, too, but it remains a miracle to me.
I have monetized this blog. Or – rather – I have created a channel by which it can be monetized. I have considered being an Amazon affiliate, but besides the fact that everyone else seems to do that, I don’t think I can fully align myself with that company’s ethics (or not!). On the other hand, I do read a lot and many of those books are Kindle freebies. So I would only invite good karma if I promote those books, wouldn’t I?
It’s simply about creating a source of income, and if I can achieve that in my writing, why on earth not?! The link is in the widgets to the RIGHT, but I shall add it at the end of the post. Please buy me some coffee. It’s the right thing to do.
The other big decision I have made is to resign from my job as soon as possible. I wanted to sell my property first, but there’s something to be said for peace of mind. Yes, I am going to be doing something crazy and use most of my pension fund to establish myself in Portugal, with a small property and an expedition vehicle-in-progress, as well as all the necessary computer, filming and sound equipment. It’s a bit of a bandwagon thing, to be frank, and I have no idea of what to expect or even if “just another ex-pat who fixes up a ruin in Central Portugal” will even be well-received online, or if I will be able to do it, but then I shall never know until I am actually DOING it.
As far as the property goes, I have two options. The first is to buy a really remote property with a tiny stone ruin which I may or may not be able to live in once it’s restored, but pay cash for everything. The second is to buy something less broken-down, with maybe a smaller piece of land. Still, the house is in an almost habitable condition and close to civilization and the necessary amenities such as shops and hospitals. And put down a deposit and take out a loan for the rest. I have a few options for both choices.
There is a third option, which can work but which I’m not sure I am really prepared to go for, and that is to buy a small house (not much more than a flat, really!) with some garden space in a village somewhere and travel the world using that as a base. I would need to stay in Portugal for at least the first six months, anyway, so I can just as well spend it fixing up a small place that I can then either use myself or rent out as a source of income.
It’s an elephant thing. Big meal. Small Bites.
However, there’s still one thing that holds me back, and that’s my lack of “passive income”. Ideally, I would like to earn at least US$1000 per month (or 1000€) from my writing and other projects before I even consider moving across. Ironically enough, that’s close to what my gross monthly salary is at the moment, so while it doesn’t seem like much to – say – an American or a German, it’s a helluvalotta money for me to earn on the side. And people don’t support side hustles, either morally or financially. They don’t see it as a “real job”. That sucks in spades.
So…
Besides writing my soul out here, I am also busy with the final edits of my second novel. Hopefully, it’ll be published by my birthday in November. The Kindle edition, anyway. Shall keep you posted. Every last recurring cent counts. Because every cent that doesn’t have to come from my hard-earned retirement fund would be one more cent that I don’t have to stress about. And then I shall have to look at some semi-active sources of income that would also supplement what I will be doing. Just in case.
I never understood why Neil Gaiman made Desire and Despair twins, but now that I am in the throes of this venture, I fully get how perfectly he describes the human condition. That which one desires most – in my case, a safe and peaceful living environment, and the freedom to travel as a single woman – also leads to the greatest despair, as some hopes and dreams are inevitably dashed against the rocks along the way. The key, I’ve found, is to manage those two passions. Keep desire down and give despair a hug. It works. For the record.
And now to get back to my editing… If I want to reap the benefits, I need to do the work!
