Retired Teacher Sells Home, Moves to Portugal with Dog, Finds Enhanced Quality of Life

Paula Dreyfuss, a former teacher from San Diego, California, found her retirement income insufficient to maintain her desired lifestyle in the U.S. Driven by escalating living costs, she sought an affordable and fulfilling retirement abroad. After researching European countries, she qualified for Portugal's D7 retirement visa.

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Returning to Portugal, I feel like I'm home.

Unable to scout the location beforehand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dreyfuss embarked on her new life with four suitcases and her dog, Charlie. She quickly fell in love with Porto, securing an apartment within hours of arrival and purchasing her first property within a year. She has since acquired more properties and is pursuing Portuguese citizenship.

Despite initial concerns from friends and family about the impulsiveness of her move, Dreyfuss has no regrets. She highlights Portugal's relaxed pace of life, safety, and quality healthcare as major draws. She feels secure walking alone at night in Porto and has easily integrated into the community thanks to the locals' warmth. The healthcare system, she notes, is significantly more affordable and of higher quality than in the U.S.

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What you're seeing now is what we do every day.

While acknowledging challenges like the language barrier and adapting to administrative procedures, Dreyfuss finds her overall expenses are 40-50% lower than in the U.S. This allows her to dine out weekly and travel extensively within Europe. She states she would only consider returning to the U.S. if it resolved its current issues. Dreyfuss's story is part of a larger trend, with over 700,000 Americans collecting social security abroad, seeking better cost of living, quality of life, and an escape from the U.S. political climate.

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Unless America solves a lot of problems, I don't want to move back.