Courtesy of Lisa Occhino
- I permanently moved from New York City to Lisbon in 2022.
- I'd planned to continue working remotely, but after my pay and benefits were cut, I quit soon after.
- I took a few months off to recover from burnout, but soon realized I would need longer than that.
When I moved solo from New York City to Lisbon in 2022, quitting my remote job wasn't part of the plan.
However, a few months after settling into my new life, steeped in a culture known for its relaxed pace, I could no longer ignore just how burned out I had been for years.
After HR informed me they'd be drastically cutting my salary and nearly all of my benefits, I found myself at a crossroads.
Luckily, I've always been frugal. I made it my quiet mission for the rest of that year to pad my savings account as much as possible.
That winter, I mustered up the courage to finally pull the plug and quit. As a lifelong planner, I had to make peace with not knowing what would happen next. All I could do was trust that if I fully committed to the rest I needed, clarity would come.
It's the best decision that I never could have made if I were still living in the US.
I filled my days with curiosity instead of urgency
It helped immensely that I was now living in a city more affordable than New York, and in a country where a trip to the ER isn't a financial risk. (Ironically, I experienced my first-ever emergency surgery not long after — reinforcing that I'd left the US just in time.)
I was amazed by how full my life felt without work, and that "full" didn't have to automatically mean stressful.
Part of that was due to being a naturally curious person: I learned new things, tried new activities, explored new places, had deep conversations, and indulged in research rabbit holes, without feeling guilty that I "should" be doing something else instead.
However, the more profound shift arose from tuning into the rhythm of a city that's not ruled by urgency. I took each day more slowly — in true Portuguese fashion — and focused on what brought me joy, peace, and comfort.
I distinctly remember one random Wednesday when I hopped on the train from Lisbon to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just 40 minutes away. I was enchanted by the charm of the Portuguese town, the colorful Pena Palace crowning the misty hilltop, and the crisp scent of forest air. I breathed it in and exhaled slowly, awestruck that magical moments like this had become my new normal.
I had given myself the rare gift of simply existing, and little by little, I felt my creative spark coming back.
I initially estimated that I'd recover from burnout in three months, but by March, I had barely scratched the surface. I became more intentional about chipping away at the conditioning of American hustle culture, and gradually quieted the voice in my head telling me to be more productive.
What started as a three-month sabbatical turned into six — and before I knew it, a full year had gone by.
I'm rebuilding my life around my well-being
Moving to Portugal and taking a year off fundamentally reshaped my relationship with work.
Instead of returning to a 9-to-5 job, which I knew would jeopardize my well-being in the long run, I freelance now. I enjoy the clients I work with and devote more creative energy to my own projects. This helps me prioritize my health over frantically trying to optimize every spare minute I have.
Recently, I celebrated my three-year anniversary of living in Lisbon and will be applying for Portuguese citizenship as soon as I'm eligible at the five-year mark.
In this new chapter, climbing the corporate ladder holds no appeal for me. I'm building something much more meaningful: a life of deep fulfillment and inner peace where my curiosity and creativity take the lead, and I no longer measure my self-worth by my productive output.