Portugal Junkies Podcast

Meredith + Mark in Portugal

We are Meredith + Mark and we just said goodbye to the traditional “American dream” in Charlotte, NC to instead experience a life of adventure NOW in Portugal. It’s been a wild and glorious ride, full of ups + downs + change + discomfort - but man are we glad we did it and are excited to share ALL of it right here. If you’ve ever considered moving abroad, we hope hearing about our journey will help you too. And if you’re considering moving to or traveling in Portugal, stayed tuned for more content about our move, the visa process, Portuguese culture, destinations + travel tips! portugaljunkies.substack.com

  1. JAN 2

    Renovating A Home In Portugal - Part 1 (30:59)

    Meet our friend Nancy, fellow Substacker and now our immigrant friend! She and her wife, Denise, moved to Portugal about 5 years ago and live near us in the Algarve. After flipping multiple homes in the US over the course of their lives, they both wanted to do the same here in Portugal - so they did. Was it a breeze? Nope. (Did you really think it would be?) So we talk through all of it - how they found the right place, the right people and what challenges they faced along the way! Connect with Nancy⬇️ 💫Expat in Portugal Substack: 💫Nancy’s Home Renovation Process Blogs ⬇️ https://expatinportugal.substack.com/p/our-little-project THE GOOD STUFF…⬇️➡️If you have questions for us about moving abroad and want to schedule a 1:1 call with us, book a time on our calendar here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/book-a-11-call-with-us-o146p➡️If you’d like help designing the perfect Portugal itinerary from the world famous Mark “The Brit” Burns, for just $249, book a FREE consult call here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/lets-start-planning-your-portugal-adventure ➡️If you need help with visas or tax information, check out our partners Joao Pinto + Rui Borges (who are the experts) here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies➡️For other key resources + 💫FREEBIES💫 about Portugal and moving abroad, visit our website: https://stan.store/portugaljunkies Cheers y’all! Meredith + Mark [amazing to realize we live so close to both ocean and mountains in Tavira] Get full access to Portugal Junkies at portugaljunkies.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
  2. 12/12/2025

    Bob's Move Abroad Story (48:22)

    Meet our lovely friend Bob Tapper, former California realtor turned digital nomad. After spending 40 years in California, Bob yearned for the European experience, living in Austria + the UK before deciding to put down roots in Porto, Portugal last year. We chat about: * what made him choose Portugal when settling down and traveling less * how to build community and accept a slower culture than the hustle life of the USA * his advice for those considering a move abroad solo (hint: he says go for it!) Connect with Bob ⬇️ 💫Website: https://www.lifeabroadinportugal.com/ 💫Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebobtapper/ 💫Our episode on Bob’s Podcast ⬇️⬇️⬇️ THE GOOD STUFF…⬇️ ➡️If you have questions for us about moving abroad and want to schedule a 1:1 call with us, book a time on our calendar here: https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/book-a-11-call-with-us-o146p ➡️If you’d like help designing the perfect Portugal itinerary from the world famous Mark “The Brit” Burns, for just $249, book a FREE consult call here: https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/lets-start-planning-your-portugal-adventure ➡️If you need help with visas or tax information, check out our partners Joao Pinto + Rui Borges (who are the experts) here: https://stan.store/portugaljunkies ➡️For other key resources + 💫FREEBIES💫 about Portugal and moving abroad, visit our website: https://stan.store/portugaljunkies Cheers y’all! Meredith + Mark Get full access to Portugal Junkies at portugaljunkies.substack.com/subscribe

    48 min
  3. 12/05/2025

    Jazz + Eric's Move Abroad Story (56:09)

    Meet our friends Jazz + Eric. They said goodbye to active shooter drills + bulletproof backpacks in Ohio and said hello to the 7th safest country in the world, Portugal. In today’s episode, we chat about: * the experiences in the USA that led them to choose a better life for themselves and their kids * international + public schools here in Portugal and how they began their research about what location best met their family’s needs * “touching grass” in Portugal - living our best lives outdoors and amongst the locals to immerse ourselves in the culture Connect with Jazz + Eric ⬇️⬇️⬇️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pizzazzwithjazz?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc If you think that having kids makes the idea of moving abroad overwhelming or even impossible, your kiddos may actually be the ultimate reason why you absolutely SHOULD do it. THE GOOD STUFF…⬇️➡️If you have questions for us about moving abroad and want to schedule a 1:1 call with us, book a time on our calendar here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/book-a-11-call-with-us-o146p➡️If you’d like help designing the perfect Portugal itinerary from the world famous Mark “The Brit” Burns, for just $249, book a FREE consult call here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/lets-start-planning-your-portugal-adventure ➡️If you need help with visas or tax information, check out our partners Joao Pinto + Rui Borges (who are the experts) here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies➡️For other key resources + 💫FREEBIES💫 about Portugal and moving abroad, visit our website: https://stan.store/portugaljunkies Cheers y’all! Meredith + Mark [us in Tavira on Mark’s 55th birthday] Get full access to Portugal Junkies at portugaljunkies.substack.com/subscribe

    56 min
  4. 11/07/2025

    Episode 51: Catching You Up [Part 1]

    We are thrilled to return from our longer-than-intended break with a new Portugal Junkies Podcast episode, where Mark + I recap all the things we’ve been up to since we last published the podcast in August. AND now that we are back - you’ll be getting a new episode every Friday so make sure you are subscribed wherever you listen - YouTube, Substack or Apple! (We are also on other platforms but you get the idea….) In Part 1, we catch you up on: ✅ Our new apartment in Tavira - why we moved, the pros + cons and how much we pay here in rent ✅ Where we’ve been traveling over the break ✅ How we are feeling as we celebrate our 2 year anniversary in Portugal! Stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3 coming your way for the next two weeks! THE GOOD STUFF…⬇️➡️If you have questions for us about our move abroad and want to scheduled a 1:1 call with us, book a time on our calendar here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/book-a-11-call-with-us-o146p➡️If you’d like help designing the perfect Portugal itinerary from the world famous Mark “The Brit” Burns, for just $249, book a FREE consult call here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/lets-start-planning-your-portugal-adventure➡️If you need help with visas or tax information, check out our partners Joao Pinto + Rui Borges (who are the experts) here:https://stan.store/portugaljunkies➡️For other key resources + 💫FREEBIES💫 about Portugal and moving abroad, visit our website: https://stan.store/portugaljunkies Cheers y’all! Meredith + Mark Get full access to Portugal Junkies at portugaljunkies.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min
5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

We are Meredith + Mark and we just said goodbye to the traditional “American dream” in Charlotte, NC to instead experience a life of adventure NOW in Portugal. It’s been a wild and glorious ride, full of ups + downs + change + discomfort - but man are we glad we did it and are excited to share ALL of it right here. If you’ve ever considered moving abroad, we hope hearing about our journey will help you too. And if you’re considering moving to or traveling in Portugal, stayed tuned for more content about our move, the visa process, Portuguese culture, destinations + travel tips! portugaljunkies.substack.com