Redefining "The Good Life" After 50

In this issue:

• 📍 Expat Life: Pros and Cons of Living on the Silver Coast of Portugal

• 👩🏼‍💻 Remote Work: What Would You Do with a $25,000 Business Grant? 

• 🗺️ Travel: How to Find Unique Travel Destinations

This is the story of two gardens. (Stick with me, I promise I’m going somewhere with this). 

In our recent video about minimalism after 50 I confessed that although we have decluttered most of our stuff indoors, our backyard is another story. We have a large yard here in Portugal (we’re city folk, so that translates to about a third of an acre). We have maybe 100 plants. 

My next door neighbor has almost no planting area. Her backyard is completely paved over for additional parking. She has only three plants. 

My backyard looks like a hot mess right now. Weeds, mulch bags, leaves from the loquat trees that need to be swept up. A wayward lavender plant that needs to be repotted. 

My neighbor’s yard, however, is absolutely stunning. Her flowers are blooming so abundantly that they spill over the wall into our yard. A few simple plants, well-tended, thriving.

As I looked out over our two gardens this week, I reflected on what it means to redefine The Good Life after 50.