Moving to Portugal changes where you live. What you do with your life here is another story.

Portugal By Design is a series of conversations with people who have chosen to make Portugal their home—and are discovering what it means to create a life that feels meaningful, fulfilling, and genuinely their own.

There’s plenty of information available about how to move to Portugal. Visas, taxes, housing, healthcare, and the practical details of starting over. But we’re curious about something different: What happens after you arrive?

How do you build a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar place? What do you carry forward from your previous life, and what do you leave behind? How do your priorities change? What happens when the life you imagined turns out differently than expected?

We believe a meaningful life isn’t something you discover fully formed. It’s something you create, one choice, relationship, experience, and sometimes unexpected turn at a time.

That’s what Portugal By Design explores.

The Conversations

Every other week, we share a new conversation here and on YouTube, with shorter moments featured on Instagram.

Each story offers a window into how someone is navigating life in Portugal. We explore what brought them here, what they’ve discovered about themselves along the way, and how their experiences are shaping the lives they’re creating.

Some people arrive with a clear vision of what they want. Others come with more questions than answers. Some are pursuing long-held dreams, while others are simply curious about what might be possible.

Not everyone is looking to reinvent themselves. Sometimes designing a new chapter of your life means continuing what you love, strengthening what matters, or finding new ways to contribute.

And sometimes it means discovering that what you thought you wanted isn’t quite what you need.

There are no formulas or perfect answers. Just real people, making choices, trying things, learning as they go, and finding their own way.

Who We Talk With

Our guests were born elsewhere and have chosen to live in Portugal. They’re new residents, sometimes called expats or immigrants, and they come from different countries, cultures, generations, and walks of life.

Some are building careers or businesses. Others are exploring retirement, pursuing creative interests, raising families, or finding new ways to contribute to their communities.

Some have been here for years. Others are just beginning.

We’re not looking for extraordinary accomplishments or carefully curated lives. We’re interested in people who are willing to reflect on their experiences and share what they’re learning.

Often, the most interesting stories emerge from seemingly ordinary decisions: joining a community, learning something new, nurturing a relationship, pursuing a curiosity, or simply choosing to live differently.

Who It’s For

Portugal By Design is for anyone curious about what it means to create a meaningful life in a new place.

For people already living in Portugal who are still discovering what they want this chapter to become.

For those considering a move and wondering about the human experience beyond the logistics.

For Portuguese readers interested in the experiences and perspectives of people who have chosen to make their country home.

And for anyone navigating change, questioning old assumptions, or exploring new possibilities for their own life.

You don’t have to be moving to Portugal to recognize yourself in these stories.

What It Isn’t

Portugal By Design isn’t a relocation service, travel guide, or source of immigration, tax, or legal advice.

We don’t believe there’s one right way to live in Portugal—or anywhere else.

And we’re not here to suggest that moving abroad is the answer to creating a more meaningful life.

Instead, we’re creating a growing collection of honest conversations about the possibilities, challenges, surprises, and everyday choices that shape a life.

Behind the Project

Portugal By Design is hosted by Chris Evans, an executive and life transitions coach who lives in Porto with his husband, writer Matt Bays.

After moving to Portugal, Chris became increasingly curious about the lives other people were creating here. Not simply why they had moved, but how their experiences were changing their understanding of what mattered, what was possible, and what they wanted from the years ahead.

That curiosity grew into Portugal By Design, which began publishing in 2026.

Suggest Someone

Know someone whose story belongs here?

We’d love to hear about them.

Suggest someone.