Moving to Portugal and Adapting to Life in Braga

Kalie from ExpatsEverywhere sits down with Grace, an expat who lives in Braga, Portugal. The two of them talk about what life is like in Braga, safety, how friendly the people are, the weather, and much more. The city has a cozy feel but is becoming more and more popular as a destination to move to. What is that doing for the cost of living? See what Grace has to say about these topics!
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Episode Chapters
00:00 Intro
0:24 Getting to know Grace
1:20 Why Move to Portugal and ppecifically Braga?
1:46 What are some differences between Portugal and other places you’ve lived?
2:41 What were your first impressions of Portuguese culture?
3:30 How difficult is the Portuguese language?
4:28 How did you learn Portuguese?
5:25 What do you do for work?
6:31 Braga is getting more expensive, but is it still affordable?
8:15 What’s the weather like up in North Portugal?
10:00 What are your favorite things about Braga?
11:04 How has life changed since moving to Portugal?
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[@rqcastro1]

Living in Braga for one year already, after one year in Porto, I could not regret our choice. Braga is a great place to live!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing! - Josh & Kalie

[@olympetalumepa]

Hi Grace... You right I fall in love too. Talking about Portugal hubby and I and our daughter we visit Portugal Last in January 2020 . I'm Indonesian from part of North Sulawesi and my my husband he's Belgian we have three children now they are in Holland study and now they working already. Now hubby and my self we still living in Jakarta now we're just thinking maybe when my husband retired maybe move to Portugal my self my ancestors my mom side Portuguese and some of Portuguese words same in our language in Nort Sulawesi where I came from that's why we fall in love Portugal 🤗😍😘

[@grandadan]

@Linda Verheyen: your words sound so beautiful to me! I have been to Indonesia 9 years ago but only to Batam! I hope i can go there again but to explore it with time and especially your Zone! I am a Portuguese married to a Filipina lady from southern Philippines right near Indonesia! I love those beautiful islands! I had in mind to Retire at the Philippines but now with the virus situation we are changing our minds. maybe we stay in Portugal or in Spain where we live now! I know you have many Portuguese words in your Language as they do in Malaysia too for the same reasons! I would love to know the words you know in Portuguese and the way you still say it. Thank you and much love from Spain to Indonesia!

[@priscillamanandago7277]

@linda verheyen, which part of Jakarta do you live now? Maybe we can keep in touch? I live in Cileungsi

[@olympetalumepa]

@@grandadan Some words like kameja ,capatu, gareja, jandela, milu, nyora ect 😄

[@olympetalumepa]

@@priscillamanandago7277 Hi Priscilla I live in Cirendeu South tangerang

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing, Linda! - Josh & Kalie

[@rickchandler2570]

That is the cutest young lady I've ever seen. Cool to see a different aspect from someone coming from another European country to Portugal.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

She's so nice. It was our pleasure to meet Grace. - Josh & Kalie

[@anadossantos1429]

All the best to Grace she sounds like a wonderful person 💚😊

[@hgracy9528]

Thank you 🥺

[@briantlougan810]

Thank you for this! Covid has kept me from visiting Braga. Now I know more. Grace was a good choice for an interview. I was happy to hear she finds Braga safe and the people friendly.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

You're welcome, Briant. Thanks for watching and letting us know what you thought. - Josh & Kalie

[@grandadan]

Nice! You reminded me to visit Braga next week! Nice video! Love to Indonesians in Portugal!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

😁 Thank you. - Josh & Kalie

[@paulopestana4090]

I noticed that by the end of the conversation the guest started to struggle a little bit to keep her speech fluent which is perfectly normal it's a sign of tiredness... As an english learning that happens to me a lot when I speak for a long time so it's kind of reassuring to see that I'm not the only one :D With that being said I just wanted to wish you both a good time here in Portugal 🇵🇹

[@hgracy9528]

Ups, guilty! Indeed it's been a long time I haven't practiced my English Every word was coming in Portuguese haha ! Muito obg :)

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for the message, Paulo. It definitely happens with us quickly trying to study and speak Portuguese. - Josh & Kalie

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

😁

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@Cio Lake intended length of stay. Expat is short term/temporary. Immigrant is long term/permanent.

[@abduharbi7996]

Vivid interview with a charming strong young lady. Amazing how simple she can make you imagine living the Portuguese culture. Thanks and keep up the good work 💐

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for the feedback and compliment, Abdu! It's very nice of you. - Josh & Kalie

[@theushistorian]

Nice interview! I've seen a few of Grace's Braga KZbin videos, including a lovely intro to Braga. I look forward to visiting Braga, and I hope it doesn't become too expensive!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you. Grace is an awesome gal and we're very happy to call her a friend now. - Josh & Kalie

[@JenShea]

Great interview Kalie!! It was nice to meet Grace and hear her experiences as an immigrant :)

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks, Jen. Grace has a really cool background. - Josh & Kalie

[@tripperm10011972]

My wife and I are thinking of retiring to Portugal. These interviews are great and very informative. I'm so glad we found this channel!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for letting us know, Tripper. We have a few more interviews about Portugal already lined up and waiting to be edited! - Josh & Kalie

[@MariaNunes-po5rc]

The majority of people don't pay attention to the global warming. The UN general secretary Mister Antonio Guterres is warning the world 🌎 about the huge desastre upon mankind which is the global warming. Traveling,and immigration is one of the reasons to increase global warming.. Please stay in your country.. until we as society find the way to clean the air. Be conscious.

[@pedritu147]

So cute both of you. I’m glad that so nice persons feel attracted to our country. We definitely need people like you. Hope you two are very happy here!!

[@cleaningtime8156]

Wow what an Amazing interview video , Love watching your Videos good job well done . Looking forward for more Videos like this to learn more about Portugal 🇵🇹

[@priscillamanandago7277]

The interviewee and interview are great, there are conection between you, but I think it's too short .

[@Nienpet]

I was grinning like some damn fool when she announced that they’re engaged 😆🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

😁 It's funny talking to Grace, you can't help but smile because she's always smiling. - Josh & Kalie

[@daylight5500]

Good interview. Always good to hear from the local people on the ground. Thanks.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks! We really enjoyed interviewing Grace. She's become a friend now. - Josh & Kalie

[@yehudarov3956]

Loved the info. Very helpful and Grace is wonderful :-)

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks, Yehuda! We're glad it was helpful. - Josh & Kalie

[@cookmaster3626]

Grace as her name says has a very Graceful personality and is very smart, intelligent, articulate, very contended, and a very open minded person willing to adapt and blend into any new environment. Rarely you see these attributes in a person and she will be very succesfull in her life in whatever she pursues, and is a great Gift to her fiance. Good Luck and teh Best Grace! Finally Kaylie-Thanks for your Great interview and opening the country of Portugal to the Americans.

[@priscillamanandago7277]

Wow, you describe Grace in truth way...she is very positive, isn't she?

[@cookmaster3626]

@@priscillamanandago7277 - Is she your daughter? I saw a video you made about her just wondering

[@hgracy9528]

Oh thank you so much !

[@Yasin_Affandi]

Thanks for this wonderful video.

[@joemac6172]

Hi Kaylie what an amazing interview with all these questions one after another wow 😳 I guess after awhile you get used to it LOL and maybe that’s why you have all these questions ready to come out, well congrats on your show or so called Chanel on expats transforms life’s cheers 🥂 ❤️ your Chanel 👍🇺🇸🇵🇹

[@terrisokolow7796]

Great interview, Kalie!

[@paulogeraldo4057]

All of Portugal is like that. People like to share, and in villages, they are able to invite people to come home and eat. Not accepting is seen as an offense. We are a hospitable people who like to share their culture.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing. - Josh & Kalie

[@jaxfl8945]

People seem nice.

[@spyhunter66]

Loved the interview and Grace is awesome!

[@priscillamanandago7277]

She won't let her smile apart from her...pretty and nice girl

[@hgracy9528]

Thank you !

[@PD55_]

It seems like every city is filled with smart but bewildered, awkward, english-speaking, Portuguese-challenged foreigners. No wonder it's such an attractive destination - I should fit right in!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Let's go! 😁 Join us. - Josh & Kalie

[@jaxfl8945]

I want to be there right now.

[@tamaramadelin4831]

Another great interview Kalie!! Grace made it so personal and I love that she exudes her love of her new country...I get it! And a common theme if why people love Portugal is 'the people' in addition to the beauty, food, culture, etc...Living abroad sure does make you more open!!! I wish more of my fellow Americans could or would experience it!!!

[@kryptosurfer420]

Lovely interview! Grace was great!

[@priscillamanandago7277]

Indeed, she is amazing

[@celsocosta880]

Great questions 🙂

[@oliviaperrin1146]

I’m English living near Porto. I love to take the train from Campanha and spend a day in beautiful Braga. X

[@tomadams2735]

Nice interview, thanks for sharing this! I'm moving to Braga in September!

[@spyhunter66]

How exciting! What made you choose Braga?

[@tomadams2735]

@@spyhunter66 So many reasons, it ticks a lot of boxes, not the least of which is close access to beautiful hiking trails and only 45 minutes from the coast.

[@kyson333]

So nice I’m a young business owner I’m visiting Lisbon in September going to saldnha alfma and Bario alto beautiful country I can’t wait

[@spyhunter66]

@@tomadams2735 Excellent! From what I’ve heard, you’re gonna love it!

[@grandadan]

@Tom Adams Good choice! I prefer the weather of the south but i prefer the food of the north and the green beauty of the north! Good luck and enjoy happiness out there!

[@pablobulldog]

Spot on questions!

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thank you, Pablo! We appreciate you subscribing. - Josh & Kalie

[@aglayapiano]

What a lovely person! ❤

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Grace is a great person. We're fortunate to stay in touch with her and her now husband. - Josh & Kalie

[@sbkpilot1]

Great interview... never heard about this city before

[@alexmendes2547]

Its is a great place to live

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks! Glad that us and Grace could introduce you to a new city. We'll have two more videos for you to check out this week. - Josh & Kalie

[@Luckyamor]

Viseu is the next town? Viseu is known for city gardens ❤️

[@carlosbarbosa5821]

Nice place.

[@leonewest2239]

Better late than never8/10/2022 Great info from both of you- a big tip for Grace ( if you are still in touch). There is an Alliance Francaise in Braga- she could reconnect with her French background- I belong to AF where I live in 🇺🇸- a wonderful way to have “ a French connection and enjoy a beautiful fellowship.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for sharing, Leone. - Josh & Kalie

[@teodoro1007]

What a surprise, you went north! But Grace´s partner is local, a similar situation as Farmer for Fun. I personally don´t think that bars in front of properties & windows, or even barbed wire is decoration. IMHO safety is a disaster. Thank you for showing me Braga, I don´t know what security depends on. Greetings

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

You're welcome, Teo. Thanks for the comment. We're glad to be back up north. - Josh & Kalie

[@jeremyleonbarlow]

Braga sounds like a somewhat sunnier Portland or Seattle in terms of weather.

[@TheOcidente]

💯💯💯

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

🙌 - Josh & Kalie

[@pbohearn]

Yea excellent interview K-Lee!, so prepared, yet relaxed, warm and connected. I’m so curious about Braga! I’m in Porto for the summer but I think I’m going to have to take a trek in October and maybe stay in Braga for a month before it gets too cold and wet! Then it’s time to Saunter down to the Algarve for the winter and then in the spring hit the Lisbon region. That’s my plan anyway, but who knows? I may just jump in the van with my dog and end up somewhere in the Pyrenees! Still want to meet the famous And curiously different Basque! I hear their food is delicious!. But the whole thing about climate & this idea of “cold,“ is as you can see, it’s all relative! Here is a woman who is part Indonesian yet grew up in Belgium which I didn’t know was as cold as she makes it sound, and she thinks it’s just fine in Braga, and everybody in Portugal just goes on and on about how cold and wet everything north of Lisbon is -it’s all relative!

[@lucchese20]

Spot on! Agree completely. I also found comments about safety relative to Belgium? Romania? Indonesia? very interesting. It’s a bit off-topic (nothing to do with Braga) but would have loved to hear more about her perspective on safety in those other locations. 👍🏻

[@lucchese20]

@@ExpatsEverywhere Yeah. While I’m a dude w/a wife and daughter, I’m sensitive to that to. So wouldn’t think that would be so much an issue in the EU but I suppose best to always anywhere.

[@pbohearn]

@@lucchese20 Definitely I really thought that was an important moment in their conversation that 2 women were talking about how important it is just to feel safe to walk by themselves in the evening alone and how key that is to someone’s sense of basic security and I would think mental health. It’s really an important topic

[@teodoro1007]

@@lucchese20 ​ @Patrick Ohearn Ph.D. Read my post, pls.

[@pbohearn]

@@teodoro1007 ?

[@trave7644]

it sounds like it is very humid in the winter. She says clothes stick to the body. American couple on expatsportugal said that Braga is not easily accessible to the lisbon airport so did not chose it. There a train but takes has many stops etc.?

[@pbohearn]

It may not be close to the lisbon airport, but Porto has an international airport and that’s pretty close to Braga. You can take a train from Braga to Porto quite easy.

[@leesantos2733]

Who says one has to go to Lisbon to fly anywhere???. Porto has an International Airport🙋🏻‍♂️.. it’s accessible and easy to in and out!!

[@tugascoaches7787]

I am a softawre enginner programmer, but I don't know how to speak English, so I am looking for someone who wants to learn programming or wants to learn to speak Portuguese. teaching, on the other hand it helps to improve my English.

[@comrade916]

I noticed when the young lady spoke of safety in Braga.. She said that she could wear what she wanted and not be bothered.. I thought about that for a moment.. Is she referring to not being able to wear what she wanted in Belgium due to the harassment of immigrant Muslims in Belgium? I have a feeling that this is exactly what she is referring to however, too afraid to say it..

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for the comment. That would need to be a question for her. She's quite active on Instagram and she might respond to you. - Josh & Kalie

[@sarapimentaclaro]

🤣🤣🤣 Penico do céu🤣🤣 ❤️❤️

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

😁

[@gelimoka9394]

"Penico do Céu" = Heavens Potty =p. Very true .

[@rotate14]

Bem-vindas ao melhor país do Mundo.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks.

[@WrldExplorer]

Hi Kalie, I watch your videos all the time and I can’t figure out that accent.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Hi, I was born in AZ but grow up in FL. - Kalie

[@richarda.490]

Most people relocate for a career opportunity or for family. What didn't you mention anything about making money there?

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

She explained her job. She moved for a guy but works for a Swiss online retailer. - Josh & Kalie

[@richarda.490]

@@ExpatsEverywhere She is a EU citizen living in another EU country. She is a migrant, not an "expat." "working on-line for a Swiss retailer." Customer service is low paid work. In fact, most of it is done in India now for that reason

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@richarda.490 I guess we're talking semantics now. What's your definition of "expat"? We know some would argue that migrant and expat are the same because they're not intended to be permanent moves.

[@richarda.490]

@@ExpatsEverywhere Expatriate: an individual living and working in a country other than his or her country of citizenship, often temporary and for work reasons; Immigrant: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence; Migrant: a person who moves regularly to find work; Tourist: one that takes a tour for pleasure or culture; Based on these definitions I would say this women is an immigrant, because she's planning marriage and permanent residence; I would say the Sokolows are tourists, because they are making a tour, and don't have a fixed residence or place of employment. Also because they dress like American tourists.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

@@richarda.490 Thanks for sharing. Grace and her fiancé are contemplating moving back to Switzerland for work as he regularly applies for jobs there. The Sokolows are finishing their tour of Braga and the whole of Portugal on Monday and will head back to Porto to resume residence there on the D7 visa.

[@luisvasconcelos1053]

I know this girl, so funny. she meet a Portuguese guy. How is the difference between dating a Portuguese and the other countries you lived

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Hey, Luis. Thanks for the comment. You'll probably need to go to her YT or IG to ask. 😁 - Josh & Kalie

[@luisvasconcelos1053]

20% of Lisbon population is foreign, Braga don't know the statistics but Brazilian community is very big

[@miguelluissousadias1371]

are you sure its just 20 percent?

[@antoniof9756]

@@miguelluissousadias1371 That's the latest info available.

[@felixbern1990]

@@antoniof9756 bragazil 🇵🇹🇧🇷♥️💚

[@miguelluissousadias1371]

@@antoniof9756 Thanks. Have a nice day.

[@oreospeedwaggindoesamerica6078]

Lovely and beautiful women her fiancé is a lucky man.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

❤️ Nice compliment. Grace and her fiancé are very cool people. - Josh & Kalie

[@pbohearn]

I like Braga because of Sonia Braga, Brazilian actress who was the “spider woman,” in the film, “kiss of the spider woman,” an excellent film from around 1980 with William hurt and Raul Julia. Academy awards winner about two unlikely men thrown together, (William playing a transsexual, Raul a political prisoner),and Sonia was also featured for a season in, “sex & the city,“ when Samantha went lesbian lol who wouldn’t go for a Brazilian if one was to go bisexual? But that’s an entirely another discussion lol. Braga, Sonia Braga, I love it.

[@ExpatsEverywhere]

Thanks for the fun facts, Patrick! - Josh & Kalie