So that was that and this is this...

And so begins the adventure.

One of the longest days (or rather months) of my life will shortly be coming to an end and when I wake up tomorrow it will be in a new year, in a new bed, in a new city, in a new country. Of course only the first of these is strictly true, I built the bed and I have spent enough time wandering Lisbon and exploring Portugal (not to mention weeks and months worth of conversation with S and V & C) to feel like I have at least a familiarity with the place.

My journey here has been, both in the long and short term, a long and exhausting one. It started what seems like an age ago, back in April 2008 when playing the third-wheel to my friends V & C's first wedding anniversary I returned to Portugal for some relaxation after a stressful period at work and at home. On this holiday I was reintroduced to S who I had originally met at the wedding the year previous. V had worked her little matchmaking magic here and it hit me remarkably quickly just how special this thing was going to be.

From the very beginning of our relationship there was no question of me and S not being together. It would, of course, have to continue over the long distance for the time being, with regular exchanges between Manchester and Lisbon (including one rendevous in Barcelona). When the time came to decide about the move there was no real choice, despite the language advantage S has over me (She speaks perfect English whereas I speak next to no Portuguese) it was much more convient for us at this stage for me to move to Lisbon. S is much more advanced in her career than me, with excellent prospects and is in the midst of an MA at a University in Lisbon whereas I was having serious doubts about the shape my career was taking, I was feeling railroaded into a career in law that I was unsure about and which would've kept me tied to the same agency (and essentially in the same job) for the better part of a decade. I was living in a flat that I could barely afford in a city that I love but that had little mystery left for me.

By mid-summer preparations were underway for my move. We were both looking Anglophone jobs and the hoops I had to jump through to get them and to get here. It was immediately obvious that it was not going to be easy for me to find something that would further my career, the possibilities seemed limited to the usual 'traveller's fare' of barwork/teaching English/manual work. It was quite disheartening, there were many avenues still unexplored but it did look bleak, especially when a whole slew of speculative CVs went unanswered. We never wavered in our goal but the provisional date - 29th December 2008 - looked increasingly optimistic.

Things slowly got underway, research was done on how I would move all my things, more CVs were sent, I was bought what seemed like hundreds of Portuguese phrasebooks and language courses yet nothing seemed to actually be getting done. Then there was one glimmer of light, I had got an interview with an EU agency, not for a paid job but for an unpaid internship - not ideal but a step in the door and a foot in the right direction. It was in the field I want to work in, it was English speaking and in Lisbon, granted it wouldn't pay the bills but the hope was that it would lead to something that would.

The interview took place in November and went riduculously well, it seemed somewhat of a formality with me merely asking questions of the panel about my working conditions and what projects they had in mind for me. It took another few weeks after the interview for me to get confirmation of the place but I had finally done it, I had some kind of start in Portugal, I wouldn't be going and risking everything for no possible return.

The next problem to arise was with the flat. Acting well within his rights my landlord asked me to find someone to fill my place in the flat for the final 3 months of the contract. I thought it quite bad timing, so close to Christmas and for such a short term but after a little panic and one false start I found the perfect couple thanks to a well worded advert on Gumtree (perhaps too well worded, I'm still getting responses to it now, I should really take the damn thing down). The move was now most definitely on now.

I arranged for a shipping company to come and pick up most of my possessions, packed the rest off to my mum's and then had to endure a few weeks crashing on the floor at my old childhood home. It was quite a strange experience because I hadn't spent that much time there since I was about 20 or so and it very much feels like someone elses home now that she lives there with her new man. I survived because I kept my focus on the fact that I would be moving home myself in a matter of days, in the fact there was minimal drama which surprised me. Christmas was really nice if tinged with a little sadness but everyone has promised to come and visit as soon as they can.

I will write about the actual journey here tomorrow along with my first impressions of the New Year.

Até amanhã