About a month ago, I won various items in the preschool auction. I mostly focused on experiences for my 5-year-old (OK, and Eagles tickets). He has gotten to take over the school newsletter (he took lots of pictures!) and he will be the principal for a day next week. On Tuesday, he also got to do a teacher-led playdate after school with a few friends. This was supposed to be a playground thing, but it was pouring rain much of the day. Given the time of year, I suspected it would not be easy to reschedule, so we moved inside the school. That ran from 4-6 p.m. and my son had a ton of fun playing indoor games and having snacks. Then I brought him home, changed clothes, threw my stuff in the car and took off for the airport to go to…Portugal! (I was giving a speech there.)
There’s something so mind boggling about air travel (I mean, when it works). To go to Europe, you go about your normal day, go to the airport at night and then a few hours later you’re in, say, Lisbon. Given that there is a flight every single night from PHL to Lisbon, theoretically one could decide to wind up there at any point. Well, I mean it would get expensive and tiring. But still. The flight was at 9:15 p.m. and approximately 6 hours later we were landing. After my overnight flight from Hawaii this seemed both short and luxurious to only have to deal with myself. I even managed to sleep about 2 hours.
I found my driver and we went about 90 minutes south and out to the coast to get to the Tróia peninsula. This is a beautiful strip of land across the way from Setubal — lots of white sand, clear water, and protected dune vegetation. I couldn’t get in my hotel room immediately so I went down to the beach and read (Dave Barry’s new book) and walked for a while. Eventually I got to my room, took a 2.5 hour nap, walked on the boardwalk above the dunes again, got dinner, chatted with some folks who were there for their conference in the bar, then read on my lovely balcony.
The next morning, after another gorgeous dune walk, I gave a keynote talk to the group and led two breakout discussions. I think it went well. Then it was time for another walk on the beach, dinner and more reading on the balcony (plus a little work). I got through a lot of reading!
It was just a quick trip, and I left this morning. We drove back 90 minutes through the Portuguese countryside. The Lisbon airport is a bit intense — you go through security and then also passport control to leave. I had wound up moving my car time earlier after I saw a huge line of people trying to leave when I went through customs getting there. It turned out not to be so bad (the line was very long but moving) but then the big international planes board by bus so we actually started boarding more than an hour before departure. In other words, I was glad to have left extra time. The flight back was long but then there was no line for customs in Philly. A win!
I had never been to Portugal before so it was fun to get a little taste. I’ll have to go back sometime to explore a little more for sure, but that wasn’t in the cards this time around. It’s a busy weekend, including an 18th birthday. Apparently I am now the mother of an adult! And I’m singing in a concert featuring Palestrina’s Pope Marcellus Mass. So, a lot going on…
Content: I really enjoyed listening to my episode of Best of Both Worlds with Meagan Francis. If you haven’t listened yet, please check it out.
For Before Breakfast I interviewed Dr. Emily Anhalt about how to be emotionally fit. We can work to improve out mental health just like our physical health.
The short episodes covered topics such as “Knowing is less than half the battle” and “Could you finish?” With a little effort, maybe you don’t have to migrate a task to the next day (again).
Vanderhacks, my Substack newsletter, suggested that one try to “Like all but 20 percent” with a job. Especially in summer, before scrolling, I suggested we “Look out the window first.” Behind the paywall I wrote about how to “Skip the misery” — 19 ways to squeeze more pleasure into an average day.
Next week, the Best of Both Worlds Patreon community will be discussing 168 Hours at our meet-up on Wednesday at 1 p.m. eastern.
Thanks for supporting me and my work!
Oh you must go back to Portugal- it is a simply magical country. One of the best trips my husband and I have ever taken. I’m pretty jealous of your short flight though – quite a bit longer from Australia!
@Nadine – I guess everything is a long flight from Australia! But yes the bit I saw was lovely and I definitely want to go back.
That looks gorgeous! Portugal is definitely worth spending more time in. My parents are near Nazare (where Elisabeth visited). Lisbon airport passport control can be AWFUL. We fly through 3x a year and once spent longer than our flight in the queue. We left our kid once with the other kids on the side of the zig zag queue and then the line went to a standstill. 10 minutes later we heard an announcement “there’s a lost child…a lost Scottish child…”. He hadn’t seen us in so long he started crying, and a mom flagged down the airport staff to call us. Parents of the year award for that one.
Once they asked everyone in the queue to agree to let this family jump the queue, and everyone cheered them as they ran for their flight.
@Coree- It was lovely but yes, what is with the Lisbon airport? Or I guess Portuguese law which must be driving it? I feel like a lot of western/democratic countries operate under the principal that if you want to leave that’s kind of your business once you’ve gone through the formalities to get a passport – it’s up to the receiving country to decide whether to let you in. But yep, I had seen the line and realized this could be an issue and then saw all sorts of posts online where it was — people racing to planes like that family. Your kid probably thought you’d disappeared that line was so long! At least when I was there it was kind of like a Disney line — managed to always be moving, which is less frustrating.
I know it happened before – so I wonder if it happened this time as well – that there are people, albeit outside of the US, who value your expertise enough that they reached out to you to invite you to come to their organization to do presentations, Ms. Laura Vanderkam. If that’s the case, I’d hope that they can pay for all of the expenses that are associated with your travels.
The Lisbon airport is bonkers. The line was so long when we were leaving and people were trying to cut the queue to avoid missing a flight (which I was fine with), but very stern airport people were then forcing them all the way back to the end of the lines and so. many. people. were missing flights.
We spent 2 weeks in Portugal last August. It was a great trip. My husband is Portuguese so we have a special connection to the country but it was my first time visiting. We ate SO many pasteis de nata. No regrets.
Coree mentioned Nazare and it is incredible. Porto was lovely, and the sunset boat cruise we took in the Algarve was spectacular – one of the top travel highlights of my life.
Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone, but I’d label Lisbon a Meh. Next time we go, I’ll definitely aim to spend more time in the south and the north. Let me know when you go back. I have lots of suggestions!
@Elisabeth – I would love to go back, it is lovely. But yes, I will also leave lots of time for the Lisbon airport!
I’m with you on the magic of travel! Especially once you helped me start thinking of my week as the 168 hours it is, it seems truly amazing that you can start out in one place, spend just a few of those hours, and be on the other side of the ocean! Glad your trip went smoothly!
@Lauren – thank you! And yes, travel is truly incredible when it works. I’ve had it not work a few times which reminds me to be grateful when it does.