About Me

After years of living the corporate life in Canary Wharf, I made the huge life decision to move to Portugal. Now, with years of navigating Portuguese bureaucracy and red tape under my belt, I wanted to share the knowledge I've got in short, informal updates.

This website is a personal space where I share the realities of life here – such as tackling the health service, providing reminders of important deadlines, and highlighting upcoming local events.

As these are informal, I will sometimes add a few personal updates. My biggest of recent, is the newest member to the Saywell family: Sukuna, a 'previously lost' dog I rescued in late April, who has fully overtaken my bed, heart, and daily routine.

This site is simply my way of keeping in touch, sharing the local insider tips I wish I had when I first arrived, and building a more personable, connected community here in Portugal.

I've always believed that to do anything well, you must learn from those around you. I'm yet to, and don't think I'll ever, have all the answers to navigating life here, so I ask for your suggestions and tips for posts in the future.

As a reflection of the journey that brought me here, I've shared a few of my personal and academic milestones below: