Leah Johns grew up in Madison, a small lakeside city in the American Midwest. But after spending a semester in Belgium during her time at university, she yearned to see more of the world. “Something about being abroad opened my mind in a way I hadn't felt before. And I craved more and more of it,” she says. She wanted to live in other countries and other cities, and has spent most of her adult life doing just that.
From Philadelphia (where Leah attended university) she moved to London, Dubai, New York, LA and back to London. “I was lucky that my jobs at the time supported my wanderlust and allowed me to transfer to different cities” she tells us, “And that my husband, who I met in London, shared my sense of adventure”. Leah, her husband João and their two small children currently live in Porto, Portugal, a move that was prompted by a job opportunity for João just over a year ago.
Porto, which sits on the Atlantic coast, has a population of around one million. The city is “a feast for the eye”, says Leah. It’s a place of cobbled streets, hip bistros, faded store fronts and street art, all characterised by vibrant splashes of colour. “It’s been a total inspiration in terms of photography,” Leah enthuses, “Tiles galore, old crumbling buildings, the ocean…”
But, despite the beauty of her new hometown, Leah finds living in a new place presents both pros and cons. She says moving to Portugal has been the most difficult relocation to date. “I think I underestimated a few things,” she admits, “Firstly, moving and starting over completely from scratch gets harder as you get older. People settle into their lives and it's not as easy to meet new people. And now that I have kids I’m not able to be as spontaneous as I used to be.”
“Secondly, I've lived in very big, international cities for the last ten years and Porto is much smaller. I didn't realise how much I was used to the convenience, bustle and anonymity of living in a big city.”
The language barrier has also made getting to know the city that bit harder than when Leah lived in London or Dubai. Travelling around Portugal, she says, you can get away with speaking English. But living there it’s a different story. Leah’s had to brush up on her Portuguese in order to regain her independence and communicate as she wants to. It’s all made easier by the fact that the people of Porto are so friendly and welcoming, says Leah, “And very appreciative of the little Portuguese I speak”.
As she learns more of the language and discovers more of the city, Leah says she’s slowly beginning to feel less like an expat and more like a Porto local. She’s better able to speak to the staff at her son’s nursery and negotiate situations like an appointment with the doctor. She’s also getting used to the long lunches and dinners for which the southern European countries are famed. “I used to just grab a salad or sushi when I worked in London,” Leah tells us, “so the sit-down lunch culture is really quite new to me.”
Aspects of Portuguese culture are starting to make their way into Leah’s own family life but there are always things she misses from back home. Of course, her family and friends. But also “good Mexican food, proper cocktails (give me a jalapeño margarita any day) and shopping at Trader Joe’s”. She visits the US at least twice a year but it’s always bittersweet. “It’s a reminder that I’m thousands of miles away from my family. I miss them and wish we could see them much more often.”
Nevertheless, Leah says living abroad has enriched her life. It’s an experience that’s made the world seem smaller and more accessible, she says. “It’s definitely broken cultural stereotypes I may have held previously – even if only subconsciously”. It’s an experience she’d encourage her children to repeat once they’re grown. And an experience that’s taught her that “home is where I am surrounded by the people I love; not a particular geographical place”.
Porto won’t be the family’s last stop. They’re about to move to Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, a few hours down the coast. Leah says of the move, “There is something about Lisbon that really drew us there – an energy, the light and this feeling that there are a lot of new things emerging.” They are looking forward to showing friends and family around their new hometown and ready for the challenge of a new relocation. We wish Leah and her family lots of luck for the next chapter of their Portuguese adventure.
Thank you to Leah for sharing her experience and images of Portugal. You can see more of her incredible photography, featuring both Porto and Lisbon, over on Instagram.