Get to know the team: Joana Barbosa

My name is Joana Barbosa, I was born in the north of Portugal in the summer of 1982 from a typical Portuguese family where everyone speaks loudly and is in a good mood.

I lived in Porto until I finished university, except for a 6 month exchange period I did in Florianopolis, Brazil.

I started my professional activity and then moved to Lisbon in 2010 where I started dating my current husband and today we have 3 children: Leonor, Rodrigo and Diogo.

In 2017 my husband accepted an international career opportunity with his company and since then he spends a maximum of three years in each location. I had to pause my job to accompany him and dedicate my time, and many times myself, to the children.

Leaving Portugal was not easy, adapting to a new country and a new reality, dedicating myself exclusively to the children and their well-being, but today, especially today, I feel it was worth it. In Portugal I worked long hours in a multinational company, I loved what I did and I was very fulfilled, but I didn’t have any other activities, nor was I able to keep up with the children.

When I arrived in Switzerland, our first experience abroad, after overcoming the adaptation the need to reinvent myself arose… To think about what I like to do, which I had never had the opportunity to put into practice, the main question: “How can I occupy my time and feel fulfilled?”

My boys, ages 7 and 5, love soccer, so I enrolled them in this activity, and my daughter loves to sing and play the piano. I also got her to go to a music academy.

I rented a house near the beach, with conditions for all of us to be able to work.

At the end of the day we went on bike rides and still managed to take a dip in the sea even though it was the end of September.

We took a ride on the Douro River that the kids still talk about today, and I went with my husband to a music concert.

My boys, ages 7 and 5, love soccer, so I enrolled them in this activity, and my daughter loves to sing and play the piano. I also got her to go to a music academy.

I rented a house near the beach, with conditions for all of us to be able to work. At the end of the day we went on bike rides and still managed to take a dip in the sea even though it was the end of September. We took a ride on the Douro River that the kids still talk about today, and I went with my husband to a music concert.

We returned to Poland in a different mood and full of strength to face the following months.

Both times were amazing and that is the experience I want to provide to other families.

I have managed to gather many contacts and I know the fears and the doubts that hang over your head at the moment of decision – I can be the person who encourages you to do it and support you while in Portugal.

In the meantime 2 more friends have joined this project and are helping me in the preparation. We are 3 moms who put together the best experience according to each family’s needs, and we will give you all the support during the experience in Portugal.

We have created this landing page www.nomadtobe.com where we share sample packages, but we are available to tailor them to the needs of each family. We also share articles to inspire families to realize that it is possible to have an experience like this.

Come to Portugal and enjoy it as much as I did!