Connect with Stacy Ennis:

Website: https://stacyennis.com/

Stacy Ennis is a book coach and publishing entrepreneur who's lived in four countries with her family. After six years in the Western Algarve, she shares the honest reality of relocating with kids.

Stacy built her business starting in the Dominican Republic in 2009, moved to Vietnam, returned to the US for eight years, then spent six months in Thailand where her kids got constantly sick. After hospital beds, hand foot mouth disease, and King Cobras found near their house, they cast a wide net and chose Portugal without ever visiting.

She discusses landing in a rough Cascais neighborhood where locals told them to go home, finding the right school through spreadsheet research, navigating immigration renewals that have become a nightmare (her husband's residency expired in August with no resolution), and the critical advice she'd give her past self about understanding full school pathways and medical infrastructure before choosing where to live.

Perfect for families relocating with children, digital nomads considering Portugal, or anyone wanting the unfiltered reality of Western Algarve life including school challenges for kids with learning needs and medical care limitations.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:10 University of Cincinnati Full Ride Scholarship

03:25 The Terrible Boss That Changed Everything

05:05 Building Digital Nomad Business Before Systems Existed

08:31 Living in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic

09:40 27 Waterfalls Adventure Experience

13:04 Why Portugal Over Spain

16:32 Finding Schools Through Spreadsheet Research

18:53 Immigration: Easy in 2019, Nightmare Now

20:53 Husband's Residency Expired August: No Solution

25:35 Small Expat Community Across Algarve

27:18 Learning Portuguese

28:28 Citizenship Uncertainty: 5 vs 10 Year Rule

30:25 Western Algarve School Challenges for Kids with Learning Needs

32:46 Medical Care Reality: HPA vs Public Hospitals

39:27 Dark Sky Observatory Birthday Trip

➣ CONTACT US for relocation assistance

https://www.algarveaddicts.com/contactCheck out our Instagram @algarveaddicts

Connect with Veronica:Website: VeronicaKrestow.comYouTube: Veronica KrestowInstagram: @veronicakrestow

Coach and author Veronica Krestow moved from California to the Algarve after a DNA test revealed she's 35% Portuguese. The Atlantic Ocean literally told her "you belong here" before she even knew about her ancestry.

After burning out at the peak of her coaching business in 2020, Veronica spent two years searching for home across North Carolina, Peru, France, and Italy. When she jumped in the water at Praia do Vau, her entire body unwound and she heard those three words. A saleswoman in California insisted she take a DNA test. Result: 35% Portuguese. Her body knew first.

She shares the brutal reality of arriving during COVID when systems went online the exact day she needed her NIF, why hiring help immediately saves relationships (stress contributed to her 14-year partnership ending), managing thousands of snails as patience teachers, and discovering her spiritual teacher's ashram is an hour away. Her blood work is now perfect after restoring health through Portuguese slow living.

Perfect for wellness-focused relocators, spiritual seekers, or anyone who believes your body knows where home is.

➣ CONTACT US for relocation assistancehttps://www.algarveaddicts.com/contact

Check out our Instagram @algarveaddicts

Professor Dr. Luis Coelho is the Dean of the School of Economics at the University of Algarve and has been in the Algarve since he was 18 years old. He shares his journey from Beja (where zero of his graduating class returned after university) to studying economics at UAlg, secretly switching from business management without telling his father, and eventually getting his PhD at the University of Edinburgh.Luis breaks down the stark reality of the Algarve economy: 60% of wealth creation comes directly from tourism and real estate, with another 20-30% indirectly related.We discuss over-tourism concerns (not yet a major issue according to Observatory for Sustainable Tourism data, but red flags emerging around housing and beach access), the economic contribution of immigrants (positive overall, enabling Portugal's recent growth, but questions about 30% who aren't registered with social security), and why housing prices keep skyrocketing despite interest rate increases that should have slowed the market.Perfect for anyone trying to understand the economic reality of relocating to the Algarve, why housing is so expensive, what the future holds for the region, or how immigration actually impacts the economy.Chapters00:00 Introduction: Dean of School of Economics00:50 From Beja to the Algarve: Why He Chose Faro10:33 School of Economics13:58 How the School Impacts the Algarve Region16:56 Research Centers and Tourism Studies20:09 The Reality: 60% of Algarve Economy is Tourism25:13 Over-Tourism: Is It a Problem Yet?28:45 Immigration: Economic Boost or Drain?35:18 Tech Startups and Algarve Tec Hub38:57 Why Cost of Living Keeps Rising in Portugal41:51 Housing Crisis: Why Prices Won't Stop Rising45:10 Future of the Algarve Economy: Three Key Areas➣ CONTACT US for relocation assistanceGet on a free discovery call and we can outline how we can work with you.https://www.algarveaddicts.com/contactCheck out our Instagram @algarveaddicts