[jIyajbe]

Well, for my wife and me, like the featured couple, we moved here to Cascais, where we have leased a 3 bedroom apartment. (We moved from Seattle, not L.A., but most of the dynamics are the same.) The concerns that you raise have not happened to us.We have plenty and frequent meetups with our friends back in the U.S. via Facetime/Zoom/Signal. No, it's not the same as being together in person, but it is "good enough"; we all enjoy ourselves. And, our niece and her husband live in the U.K.; they popped over last weekend, where we got together for dinner in Lisbon, and had a great time, in our native language...

A large percentage of the Portuguese people speak and understand some English, and nearly all people under 30 speak English fluently. And no one, ever, has been anything but delighted when we (try to) speak in Portuguese. They are very patient, really want to help us learn their language, and are fine with translation apps.

I suppose you could see all of the tourist attractions in Lisbon in a (long) weekend, but living here lets you see so much more; it is a culturally rich and interesting country. As for cultural attachments, I guess I'm not sure what that means; but if it means "people and places being the way I am used to", then I respond that for us, it is fascinating and fun to see how other people and places are; seeing what other ways of doing and thinking are possible. It is an adjustment, definitely, and it may not be for you.

It is true that rent prices in Cascais are higher than we had hoped they would be, but they are still significantly lower than what they are in Seattle. Our apartment here is at least half as expensive as it would be in Seattle. And groceries, utilities (including 1Gbs internet), restaurants, consumer goods (e.g. clothes) are dramatically less expensive, as well.

And finally: Yes, it is SO MUCH safer here than in Seattle. The constant tension of looking over your shoulder is gone; you have no idea how heavy a mental weight that is until one day it is lifted.