Trading Chaos for Serenity – My Home in Portugal with Ron & Mike

What does it feel like to trade the hustle and chaos of American life for a slower pace, fresher air, and a true sense of belonging? For Ron and Mike, the answer came when they chose to build a new home on Portugal’s Silver Coast. 

In our latest ‘My Home in Portugal’ episode of Portugal The Simple Life Podcast, Dylan chats with Ron, an architect, and Mike, an artist/actor, who traded their high-profile lives in Texas and California for a slower pace of life in a small village in Nazaré, Portugal.

But why did they choose to buy a home in Portugal? And how did they find the balance and serenity they were looking for?

A new lifestyle, a blank canvas

For Mike, the idea to buy a home abroad began back in 2016, a reaction to the US becoming "so divisive". Ron joined the idea in 2022, realizing that after 60-something years of "pushing and grinding" the American pace was simply "exhausting".

After doing some research online and learning more about Portugal, they decided to embark on a 10-day reconnaissance trip that immediately revealed the contrast between the lifestyle here and what awaited them back in the US.

On their first night in Portugal, they turned on the TV and realized there was a world that existed "without the chaos". A sense of peace that wasn't just political, but rather the freedom to "just be yourself, just to relax".

Portugal became more than a destination; it became a blank canvas for a new life chapter. Ron and Mike found themselves inspired by the culture, the kindness of the Portuguese people, and the emphasis on well-being. 

From research to reality: Becoming homeowners in Portugal

Ron had done significant online research and liked Portugal Realty because they offered modern architecture, which he was a huge fan of. Despite Mike having promised on the plane, "we're not getting on a plane and going over there to write a check", they fell in love with the a house just outside the fishing village of Nazaré and wrote the check... after only 10 days.

When they first visited the plot with Dylan Herholdt, it was "just a hillside with a few stakes", requiring a leap of faith that "somebody's going to build what they promised".

 Encosta do Salgado – the hillside where Ron & Mike’s villa was built

For Ron & Mike, building a house from thousands of miles away, in a country where you don’t understand the language or the complexity of local bureaucracy, was challenging. But with Portugal Realty’s Simple Life Home Buyer services, it meant having someone "on the inside" to provide the necessary information and the support needed to navigate the stress.

Ron felt an added layer of assurance because Portugal Realty has been doing this for a "very long time" and was a "well-oiled machine" that delivered quality.  

“Dylan also toured us through a couple of developments that we could actually walk through, see completed units, see units out of production. (…) That was a sigh of relief for me.”

The support of the Simple Life Home Buyer specialists, including Furniture and Decor services from Portugal Interiors, provided peace of mind, enabling them to confidently move forward.

“For anyone who's thinking about doing this, don't feel overwhelmed. There's going to be things you don't understand. There's going to be processes that you don't understand. Dylan has a great network of people that he can connect you to regarding lawyers or whatever it is you need (….). You can reach out and they’ve got you!”

Community and feeling welcome

Despite initially planning to buy a holiday home and rent it out, their new villa on Portugal’s Silver Coast soon became more than just an investment property… it became their new “home”.

Now, in what they call their "third chapter" of life, Ron and Mike are enjoying their retirement by reconnecting with passions set aside during their careers.

Mike, an artist who also worked as an actor and even starred as one of Seinfeld’s original villains, sees this new life as a "beautiful blank canvas". Originally trained as a painter, he is looking up drawing classes, returning to the passion he abandoned when art became "the daily salt mines".

Ron, who considers himself a "nature boy", plans to learn to surf and paddleboard, enjoying the beautiful natural landscape that surrounds their Silver Coast property. 

“I can walk out this front door and I can cross the street and there are just acres of hills and trails that I could just walk right into. I can breathe and look over the canyon and just know that I could go hiking that mountain if I want. Literally four minutes over here, I can go to the beach and the waves pull me back down. So for me, spiritually, I feel like there's an energy here that pulls me back down to the ground. I needed that after years of just pushing and pushing, and grinding and grinding. I wanted to feel connected again.” - Ron 

Food in Portugal has been another revelation: fresh seafood, rich produce, and high-quality meat. And all at a fraction of the cost they were used to in the U.S. As they put it: “we eat better here, and we spend less.”

Culturally, Portugal also offers a healthier "balance of life". Dinner, for example, is not a frantic experience where restaurants rush to "turn the tables as quick as possible"; here, they expect you to spend the entire evening.

But what’s stood out most in their new life in Portugal isn’t just the cost of living or the authenticity of Portuguese culture — it’s a feeling. A slower pace of life. A culture of acceptance. A sense of community that has welcomed them with open arms.

For Ron and Mike, this life-changing experience was never just about buying a beautiful house; it was about building a new way of life — one that finally feels like “home”.

Watch the full podcast episode here:

Portugal The Simple Life Podcast Season 4, Episode 3

Want more stories like Ron & Mike’s?

Subscribe to our podcast and get inspired by more stories of life, property and lifestyle in Portugal. 

---

If Ron & Mike’s story inspires you, book a call with Dylan!

Your Portugal property journey is just a click away:

#buyingpropertyinportugal #silvercoast #portugalproperty #portugalproperty #americansinportugal #homeinportugal #ºportugalhomes