Kathleen N. Says:
I’m a 77 single widowed retired teacher. I have many nay-sayers for me to make a move to Portugal. What would you do to ensure them of my safety if you were me.
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Kathleen,
Congratulations on your decision to move to Portugal! This warm, welcoming Western European country has a lot to offer—from its affordable cost of living to beautiful weather, and a friendly, open culture that welcomes expats.
It’s funny how often IL readers report friends and family being concerned for their safety as they plan to move overseas. Especially when, as in your case, they’re planning a move to Europe.
You could point out that in study after study the US has been proven to have higher crime rates than any country in Europe. In fact, a ranking by NationMaster, which used statistics provided by Numbeo, showed that the crime rate in the US is 54 times higher than that in Portugal! So, by moving you would be 54 times less likely to be a victim of a crime, going purely by the numbers. (You can see all those comparisons here, in which Portugal consistently ranks as safer than the US.)
But, statistics don’t always convince people.
So you can rely on the experience of expats who live there now.
Like Kevin Casey, who lives in Portugal’s lively second city, Porto, and has this to say, “If you’re looking for lively pubs, world-class restaurants, pavement cafés, and waterside scenery, take a walk through the city’s river districts. The nightlife here is family friendly, though many restaurants don’t even open their doors for dinner until 8:30 p.m. I felt totally safe everywhere I went, even at midnight.”
That’s not to say that there aren’t considerations to be made when moving overseas as a single woman. Which is why we’ve always featured the single female expats we know who have done it, and share their advice and experience to make your move easier and safer.
Check out Bonnie Hayman’s guide here, and one by Glynna Prentice and Jessica Ramesch here.
Hopefully this has helped give you some of the tools you need to convince the nay-sayers.
Best of luck with your move to Portugal. And if you have any other questions, you can join us on our brand-new community site to connect directly with our experts and other IL readers.
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