From late-night dinners and roundabout rules to greeting customs and the mysterious art of Portuguese bureaucracy, join us as we share the culture shocks, funny moments, and unexpected lessons we’ve picked up along the way. After living here for 2 1/2 years, we've learned some things.Whether you’re planning a trip, thinking about moving here, or just curious about everyday life in Portugal, you’ll get real stories, practical tips, and plenty of laughs.📍 This episode covers:0:00 Intro1:15 First cultural surprises we faced5:40 Dining hours & coffee etiquette9:20 Driving differences you should know13:55 Seasonal rhythms of life here18:30 Stories we learned the hard way21:45 Our “It’s good, it’s normal, it’s okay” mantra💬 Question for you: What’s the biggest culture shock you’ve ever experienced traveling or living abroad? Tell us in the comments!🎙 About As the Dinesens Turn:We’re Jason & Tracy, a couple from Iowa who decided life was too short not to try something big. Follow our adventures — and misadventures — as we navigate life, culture, and coffee in Portugal.👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications to join us for future episodes!
We’re back after a two-and-a-half-month break with a jam-packed episode full of updates, laughs, and a little heat-induced delirium.
Tracy shares what it was like recovering from hernia surgery (surprise! She had a congenital diaphragm defect), and dives into her pottery residency—complete with raku firings, monoprinting on clay, and the all-important sardine jewelry.
Jason gives a sneak peek at what's happening with Dinesen Media Ventures, including the launch of Portugal Chronicle, the long-awaited arrival of Jason in Portugal, and the bureaucratic maze of renewing visas and setting up utilities. Spoiler: it’s not for the faint of heart.
We talk about the chaos of August in Portugal when the town triples in size, grocery store parking becomes a blood sport, and rules of the road are mere suggestions.
Also in this episode:
• Updates on our kids’ school year
• Reflecting on burnout and finding balance
• Upcoming summer adventures (including a ham museum!)
• Why we love it here—even when it’s 105°F
Got questions for us? Drop them in the comments—we’re planning future listener Q&A episodes!
In this episode of As the Dinesens Turn, Jason and Tracy catch up after a few weeks away, sharing tales of sun, stitches, and undercarriage misadventures! Jason recaps his annual accounts payable conference at Universal Studios, while Tracy dives into her recent surgery saga — from hidden hernias to the calm and competence of Portuguese healthcare.
They chat about:
🌴 Florida vs. Disney: The Universal Studios experience
⚙️ Hernia revelations & post-surgery recovery
🚗 Car inspections and the comedic joys of expat life
🎢 Next year’s Epic Universe plans (Super Nintendo World!)
💬 Should they share more of their Portugal life online?
In this episode of As the Dinesens Turn, we're diving into a whirlwind week of medical procedures and ... car inspections.When you're a teacher on break, what better way to spend your time than getting your gallbladder removed? Join us as we walk through a surprisingly smooth and surreal experience with the Portuguese private health system, from late-night surgery to morning coffee and jam on bread (no fuzzy hospital socks, though).We compare this experience with surgery in the U.S., touching on differences in care, costs, and pain management (spoiler: no opioids here). Plus, there's a surprise twist involving the GNR (Portuguese National Republican Guard) and a 250€ car inspection fine we didn’t see coming.👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real-life expat stories and slice-of-life episodes from our lives in Portugal.📌 As the Dinesens Turn — because something is always turning, and it’s usually us.#ExpatLife #PortugalHealthcare #GallbladderSurgery #AsTheDinesensTurn #LifeInPortugal #GNR #LivingAbroad #MedicalStorytime
We survived the power outage in Portugal on Monday the 28th.
What we're looking forward to as springtime springs in Portugal.
March 16th was our two-year anniversary in Portugal. All of us -- kids included! -- reflect on it.
On this episode, we discuss the challenges and triumphs of language learning. Jason discusses if Duolingo is helpful or not. Jason and Tracy debate the merits of striving for an A in school versus "just get through it."
We've been here almost 2 years now, and while most people think it's cool (we do too!) it's not all fun and games. We have to work, and we experience homesickness. The worst was after 6 months. This episode dives deeper into how we dealt with the homesickness and are still dealing with it.
It's a grab-bag episode of Valentine's Day in Portugal, the power of the sunshine here, and Jason's language adventures.
We talk about the weather in our part of Portugal. Sometimes a 50-degree day can be very uncomfortable, and as crazy as it may sound, a 0-degree day in the Midwest can almost be more comfortable (if you're inside).
Tis the season for illnesses. We also talk about our experiences with the Portuguese health system and compare it to the U.S.
Our journey with burnout continues to evolve. We still are not "cured," but we are in a better headspace now than we were before we moved.
In this episode we come back to why we moved, how we feel now, and we discuss our ever-present burnout and trying to find solutions.
After a 9-month hiatus, we are back! This episode gives an update on what we've been up to. We are back to weekly episodes now, so more to come!
We talk about how tax season went -- it went pretty well. We also talk about how there are clearly things that need to change in the future.
Hard to believe for us, but we've been here for 1 year now.
We were both horribly burned out before we moved to Portugal. Burnout, in fact, is really our "why" as to why we moved. We've talked about it before, and we talk about it again here.
Yes, we stayed up to watch the Super Bowl, til around 5 am our time.
We had to take a few weeks off because we've all been battling colds and such. Tracy and Jason talk about having a cold in Portugal, going to the doctor, the costs (or lack thereof compared to America) of everything, etc.
