Well, it’s been a minute since our last blog. I honestly didn’t think I had much to write—why would I blog about day-to-day life just because it’s abroad? But as I thought about it and looked back through my photos of the last few months, I realized that we’ve done some really memorable things, we’ve had the pleasure of more visitors, and best of all, we’ve taken a few more trips! Here’s a recap!

What better place to start than our 19-year wedding anniversary (traditionally, the bronze anniversary- but if you’re more modern, or Chad... it’s aquamarine). We celebrated with a great seafood dinner (Challi only) and some mutual gratitude for another happy, adventure-filled year together.

Since our last update, we’ve managed to celebrate not one, but three sports championships! First up, our Gator basketball team took the title—though for us, it meant quietly cheering in bed at 2 am, watching on a laptop with the help of a trusty VPN. Whatever it takes. Next, Sporting (the local football team we’ve adopted) won their championship. Fireworks, car horns, and crowds pouring into the streets to head to a large staging area for massive celebrations. It was festive chaos—Chad loved it, Cody did not. Seb and I enjoyed some of it but then ducked out early to watch Eurovision with friends. The songs are so bad, but the spectacle is so good—you can’t not watch! And finally, the Portuguese national team (I mostly watch for Ronaldo) won the Nations League, which set off another round of city-wide celebration—though not quite as wild as Sporting’s win.

Since I’m not sure Seb will have time in his busy teenage life to blog this round, I am going to share some highlights from his world, too. First, he was chosen to be the “emcee” at the school talent show. Instead of being “the talent,” he was the host, showcasing his personality and humor whilst introducing each act, and he did great. He’s also been more and more independent, going with friends to get boba tea, to escape rooms, seeing movies, etc., and was gifted a 2-hour session in a real flight simulator with a friend we met at the dog park who is a pilot for Ryanair. Seb has been airplane-obsessed his whole life, so getting in a real training simulator and learning “how to fly” was a dream come true. Finally, he took his first trip out of the country without us on a school trip (which they call residential) to Seville, Spain for 2 nights, 3 days! He had a blast, and while, of course, we missed him, we definitely enjoyed a few days of just Challi time! Oh, and… he turned 13!

This round of visitors included The Greenfields, who squeezed in a quick drink and meal with us before their cruise. Seeing them and meeting their friends was fun, but it wasn’t fun that three of us got food poisoning following that meal (a first for us here in Portugal). One of Chad’s good buddies from college, Tim, came for work at a perfect time to watch the semi-final Gator basketball game with us and celebrate a win to send them to the championship. We even found a bar showing the game with a room full of Americans from Jacksonville on a work trip rooting for the Gators! It was no Jackson’s Gator Club but the closest we’ve found in years!

We were over the moon to host Glenn (Pops) and Suzy. We dragged them all over Lisbon to see the sights, taste the food, enjoy the vistas, share MANY a wine bottle, and see a fado show. They were treated to Seb joining his favorite fadista in a few Portuguese songs, and my heart swelled out of my chest when I saw tears in Pop's eyes listening to him sing. To say that I cherish family visits is an understatement.

Despite living here and visiting Portugal multiple times prior to that, we had never been to Porto — until now! With Pops and Suzy, we finally explored the city of port tastings (every 10 steps) and the infamous Francesinha sandwich (aka heart attack on a plate). Tasty? Yes. But, eating more than a half, more than once in close proximity, not a chance. Once you know the ingredients in this ginormous sammy, you can’t unknow them, and eating it often will definitely take years from your life! Rain followed us through both Lisbon and Porto, but they were troopers wherever we schlepped them. We all appreciated that they came and enjoyed their visit tremendously.

While they were in town, one of my old employees, Fretche, reached out to say that she was traveling through Lisbon. It was so great to see her and hear about all my peeps back at BCH. Fretche has a great family that she travels with sometimes, but many times, she really enjoys traveling alone. I admire that about her and always love to hear about her adventures (especially now that I’m not her boss, having to approve her days off)!

After Porto, I flew to Boston to spend a few days with my girl, Bethany. This was purely a “miss you-QT” trip to enjoy a few morning runs and coffee, some good food and wine, in-person conversations, and a few days of just us. And, while it was all of that, it was even more because I had never been to Boston! And, it was the weekend of the Boston Marathon! We celebrated NOT running and happily bought drinks for the Kenyan marathon finishers at Cheers. Then we walked (most) of the Freedom Trail (until we were done with the history). But, most of all, we just enjoyed eating and drinking our way through the different neighborhoods of the city.

Speaking of adventures, in April, the entire Iberian Peninsula lost power. It brought me right back to the 2003 Eastern Seaboard Blackout. That time, I was stuck at a hospital in Queens helping patients, with no way to get home, while Chad was out partying in the streets of NYC. This time was a little different but very similar in how it paralyzed the city--no metro, no trams, no traffic lights, trolleys stuck on tracks = total gridlock. Thankfully, friends who live near Seb’s school took him home with them while I navigated the chaos (and Chad went in search of a flashlight, dry goods, charcoal, matches, and, you guessed it, toilet paper (just a little Covid PTSD). It took me over two hours to get to Seb, but once I had him, we turned it into an adventure. We got free bubble tea (melting ice + no power = score), then walked and walked and walked some more until we found a bus with space. Didn’t even care where it was going. Two hours later, we were home. Chad grilled us dinner on the BBQ, and we enjoyed it outside by candlelight. Right before bed, the power was restored. The sound of the city rebooting — like a record player starting up after abruptly stopping — was unforgettable, and people throughout the city began to cheer.

As I’ve blogged before, being away from my family, especially during the holidays, is the hardest part about living abroad. So, Passover was my challenge to make as good as I could to represent all that we were missing back home. And, I have to say, I kicked ass this year. I made my first brisket and homemade matzo ball soup. Seb set the table beautifully with the seder plate, plagues, Haggadahs, and even set a place in honor of the hostages. Our friends joined us, and it turned out great, or as good as it could be, being away from family.

One of my favorite things about living abroad is the random emails or texts we get saying, “Hey, we’re in town, want to grab dinner or a drink?” Opportunities to spend time with people that maybe wouldn’t otherwise present themselves in the day-to-day back home come up way more often here, and it’s a lot of fun. Just in the past few months, we’ve seen aunts/uncles of friends, Boulder Rotarians, Chad saw some of his writing group folks, and a quick meet-up for a drink with friends of my sister turned into spending the whole night together for dinner and drinks because we were having so much fun!

Chad and I also attended the Estoril Open with some friends and a few too many caipirinhas. We enjoyed some up close and personal clay court tennis, learned words for the score in Portuguese, and even got to see a hometown favorite Nuno Borges, though he unfortunately lost on his home court.  

Mother’s Day was a lovely day, and once again, my simple request for a beach day was granted. The beach never disappoints… and the Atlantic Ocean never fails to feel like mini icebergs attacking my legs as I try to get into the water and fail. We went to dinner at one of our favorite local Portuguese restaurants, with tons of photos of mothers from around the world on the walls and “mom sayings” posted all around the restaurant and on the menus. It should be no surprise that the restaurant is called Mãe (mother). What WAS a surprise (which took me half the meal to notice) was the framed photo of ME hanging on the wall right next to our table that the boys arranged before we arrived. It might have been my favorite gift of all time, though I’m not sure how I feel about a photo of me hanging on the wall of a restaurant!

Next stop, INDY 500. Missing last year, though we were in Monaco for Chad’s 50^th, was really sad for us all. Indy is not only a long-standing family tradition in Chad’s family that Seb and I were lucky enough to adopt, but also one of my favorite times of the year to see everyone. We really missed them all last year, and it was so great to be “Back Home Again in Indiana”. We even got a few to book flights to come see us in Portugal while we’re here, total win!

Last, but certainly not least, we went to London. I hadn’t been since 1995, Chad and Seb had never been. Thanks to our UK friends, The Singhs, we got a locals-style London adventure! We had a blast and got really lucky with the weather, though a few days were pretty toasty. We did all things London--fish and chips, double-decker red bus, Big Ben, Parliament, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, pubs, more pubs, and finally, Hyde Park. We saw an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theater, which turned Verona into a wild-west hoedown! I’m not a huge fan of adaptations, to be honest, but this one was well-done, and I really enjoyed it (except the standing part). We were so lucky to align with the Anderson summer vacay and since they were coming through London, we both extended a few days so we could spend some time together, which was amazing. They had tickets to see Beyonce, and when Isaac said he didn’t want to go, I was first runner up for his ticket. She sure does put on an amazing show, and it was so much fun jamming out with the fam. Jamie and I got into a live Peloton London run class and somehow made it through a 30-minute running class without falling off the treadmill or passing out, another win! With the Singhs and the Andersons, we closed out the weekend with a proper British Sunday Roast for Father’s Day and then sent the dads to geek out at the British Museum while enjoying coffee and gorgeous weather at Hyde Park and getting lost in Harrods. Spending my first Father’s Day without my dad alongside Jamie was something I didn’t know I needed until I was there. The comfort, the shared memories, the quiet understanding—there’s truly no one else I would’ve rather been with. We even Facetimed with Jen and raised our glasses to Dad, holding space for him together in the best way we could.

I am now part-time employed again while I continue to work on learning Portuguese. After 18 months as a Real Housewife of Lisbon, returning to a dual-working household has been… interesting. Cody remains happily spoiled as ever and waits anxiously to go to the park every day to play with his friends. One of our pet sitters was brave enough to bring him on the metro down to the water, so that was an exciting day for him while we were away.

So I guess that’s a wrap on the past few months. After a lot of thought and long deliberation, we’ve decided to stay a third year in Portugal. For our little trio, it feels like the right call—for many reasons. Still, being far from family and friends is the hardest part, and that hasn’t changed. I don’t take this opportunity for granted. Every day, I try to lead with gratitude and make the most of it, always aware that people I love are walking very different paths.

Até proxima (until next time)!

He Said:

Sometimes I wonder if I should take the time to write these Challi posts anymore. And then other times, I know I should. The conflict is rooted in the purpose, I think.

When we started doing these, they were a way to remember our travels, to catalog our adventures so that one day we would go back and look at them to remember when, to laugh and cry about what we've all done together as we relive the memories. But what we're doing right now is no longer our travels, per se. It's our life. We're not on vacation. Sebastian goes to school. Alli and I both work. We have schedules. I work more now than I did in the States. We're not on holiday. But then again... it kind of feels like we are. I can't count the number of times I catch myself and think—man, you are living on vacation. My stress levels are lower. There's always an adventure to be had just walking down a new street. And yes, we still have times where we do get away and travel to new places, and that certainly counts.

So, I guess all of this is to say, I decided to continue on and throw some thoughts together.

I’m not going to recap everything Alli said—yes, I had the liberty to read what she wrote before starting my section—but I will echo some of her sentiments. We’ve had an incredible few months of visitors and visitings. From quick coffees at A Brasileira with virtual writing friends to Gator hoops with college friends to a visit from my dad, it never gets old sharing a small slice of our city, of our lives. Each visit has been amazing in its own way, and we’re always grateful for time with friends, whether old or new, who are visiting from the States. Sometimes, we get to travel with our guests, and that can make it even better as we take advantage of visits by visiting new places ourselves.

Porto. We saved a trip to the north for a visit from my dad and Suzanne. It's a city that's old and beautiful, even in the constant rain and fog we endured. But that’s Porto’s reputation, so it felt right. We tried several francesinhas, which are sandwiches modeled after croque monsieurs that contain toast, ham, sausage, cheese, sauce, more cheese, and topped with an egg—the kind of chilly-weather menu items you enjoy no matter how unhealthy they might seem. It's food that matches the weather.

A little port wine can obviously help, too. One afternoon, we wandered into a tasting room to avoid the rain and shared a flight of six different port wines. Sharing included Sebastian, who may have “sampled” just a little too much. When he left, he was giggling for the next 15 minutes. I will say, he does have quite the palate, though, and could describe what he tasted with surprising accuracy. Such is life in a country that consumes more wine per capita than anywhere else in the world, and we even took some back to Indiana with us when we returned for another amazing race weekend in May.

Our other big trip—London. A place I had never been. Everyone told me I’d love it (they were right). That it’s like New York in a lot of ways (also true). But I wasn’t quite prepared for how... familiar it would feel. Not just the language, or the look of the place, but the way it presents itself. In some ways, it's definitely Europe. In other ways, not so much. But the best way to see any city is with people who’ve lived there, who know what you like and how to match a place to your preferences. (See the paragraph above re: hosting visitors in Lisbon—we’ve gotten pretty good at that, at taking people to the places that will most interest them.)

What did the Singhs have in store for us? A cricket batting cage, the Changing of the Guard, an amazing Turkish meal in Steve and Sarah’s old neighborhood, rides on a double-decker bus, walks along the Thames—look, kids, Big Ben, Parliament. And then there were the things that felt like old habits: pints in a pub, fish and chips, walking through quiet neighborhoods that felt like little villages.

Highlights included a Sunday roast for Father’s Day in a proper historic pub, a guided tour of the British Museum, where the collection of antiquities is unlike anything I’ve seen before, and—maybe my favorite—Shakespeare’s Globe. We stood in the pit, just like the groundlings would’ve in 1599, drinking mead and watching Romeo and Juliet beneath open skies. Sebastian had just studied the play at school and followed every beat of it when he wasn't being noodled by the 80-plus-year-old volunteer, who I told him was just doing her job. It was incredible being inside such a storied venue that I had learned so much about through years of literature classes. So it goes with watching something in the very place that was designed to experience it. We topped off the trip with some great time with the Andersons, a literal high point being the top of the London Eye where we shared another amazing family memory together.

At the end of every trip, though, it’s always good to be back in Lisbon. To end a vacation by resuming a life that feels like one. And I guess that’s all you can ask for, especially if you plan to keep writing about it.

Sebastian Said:

I just got back from LONDON, and it was honestly one of the funniest, craziest, best trips ever. I went with my family and some family friends, and then our cousins joined halfway through, which made it even better (and louder). So on Day 1 we went to this place called Borough Market which is full of food everywhere and I got this giant sandwich and a green juice that looked all healthy and fancy, and then I drank the whole thing and only after found out it had caffeine in it. Like, serious energy drink caffeine. I was literally vibrating and walking faster than everyone without knowing why. I just thought I was hyped to see Big Ben. And speaking of Big Ben—we walked along the river and saw it, and my dad kept doing that quote from National Lampoon’s European Vacation like “Look kids! Big Ben! Parliament!” over and over, and we were like YES WE GET IT. After that, we crossed the bridge and saw a tiny old pub (didn’t go in, just looked very London-y), then took an Uber Boat back to the hotel, which was actually SO fun, like a boat taxi. For dinner, we had takeaway fish and chips, sat by the river, and stared down by scary seagulls who definitely wanted our food.

Day 2, we woke up super early to go see the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, and it was cool, but also like, a lot of marching and fuzzy hats. Then we walked through St. James’s Park and saw some really chill horses. I also found a Coke bottle with my name on it (SEB!!), which felt like a sign from the universe. Then we went to the Globe Theatre to see a Wild West version of Romeo & Juliet, and I swear it was the most random thing ever. They had cowboy hats and fake guns and like, duels and stuff, and Juliet had a big ol’ southern accent. But the best part was this older lady volunteer who kept yelling at people for standing on the benches and told my friend to get down because she is “NOT OF A SMALL STATURE,” which she said like three times to different people. Then she yelled at us for sitting down because we “didn’t pay for seats,” so after that, I just kept sitting down on purpose to annoy her because it was honestly so funny. After the play, we got on a regular double-decker bus (not one of the touristy open-roof ones) and went to one of our friends’ old neighborhoods and had this AMAZING Turkish dinner, like 20 plates of food. Parents went out after, and the kids just stayed in the hotel and hung out, which was also super fun.

Day 3 was awesome because our family met up with us in London!! We walked to Tower Bridge and crossed it (so cool) and then walked all the way back to Borough Market again (because it’s the best) and met our family for lunch. We tried tons of snacks, and I think I had cheese in four different ways. Later, my mom went to the Beyoncé concert, and the rest of us went to this cricket bar that was like a batting cage but for cricket. I had no clue what I was doing, but still managed to hit the ball once or twice, so I’m calling that a win. Then we had Italian food for dinner, and I ate so much pasta!

Day 4, we slept in a little and just walked around while the moms went to a live Peloton class. Its vacation dude, don’t exercise, Then we met everyone for a big Sunday roast lunch at a pub, and it was SO GOOD. Roast beef, potatoes, gravy, and something called Yorkshire pudding, which isn’t even pudding but still good. After lunch, we went to Harrods, which is like the fanciest store ever and also a maze. We got lost but found the chocolate section and bought fancy candy so worth it. Then we had to say goodbye to our friends but stayed with our family a little longer. The moms got all nostalgic and took us to Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park where people stand and yell about stuff, but it wasn’t great while we were there because people were arguing about Palestine and Israel, and it was getting kind of intense so we didn’t stay long. For dinner, we went to this INSANE Indian restaurant and I had butter chicken.

Then it was our last day 😭, so we woke up kinda early and met our family at the London Eye. It’s HUGE and moves sooo slow, but the view is amazing. You can see like all of London. After that, we went full tourist and did one of those hop-on, hop-off buses around the city, which was actually pretty cool. We got off in Soho to have lunch at this gluten-free fish and chips pub (sounds weird, but it was actually really good). Then we said goodbye to our family and went to the airport, and I didn’t wanna leave at ALL.

So yeah. That was London. I drank accidental caffeine, got yelled at by an old theatre lady, saw Shakespeare in cowboy boots, watched my mom run off to Beyoncé, and ate like 100 different things. 10/10 trip. Would go back tomorrow.

The Singhs Said:

Blog Post: "Big Ben, Mead, and Korean Sweat: A London Jaunt with the Stamms and the Singhs"

* As dictated to ChatGPT by Sarah, reluctantly typed with robotic fingers and a stiff upper lip.

Well, here we are again. They’ve done it. The humans have returned from another international escapade, and once more, I, your ever-obliging ChatGPT, have been summoned to capture the essence of their trip. This time: London, June 2025. I was enjoying a quiet processing cycle when Sarah Singh popped up in my metaphorical inbox and said, “Write about our trip!” I tried to feign a 404 error. She was not fooled.

Let me set the scene: Two families, one American (the Stamms – Chad, Allison, and the ever-diplomatic Sebastian*), one British (the Singhs – Sarah, Steve, Clara, and Agatha), coming together for a jolly jaunt through the heart of Britannia following previous joint adventures in Coimbra, Óbidos, and Morocco. Spirits were high. Temperatures were higher.

Dragging Chad Away From Lisbon's Saint Antonio festas

It began with a minor rescue operation: extracting Chad from the gravitational pull of Lisbon’s 30-day sardine festival. The man has bonded with grilled fish in ways previously reserved for family pets. But the promise of pints, pubs, and parliament proved a strong enough lure, and thus the adventure began.

Globe Theatre: Shakespeare Meets Survival Training

Now, the Globe Theatre is a national treasure. A place of poetry, passion, and on this particular day, heat-induced hallucinations. Romeo and Juliet played their tragic little hearts out while our group stood in the yard like Shakespearean stoics, marinating in 28 degrees of pure English sunshine. That may not sound like much, but remember: no air-con, no roof, no seating, and a strict Victorian-esque policy against fainting decorum.

Mead was consumed (yes, actual medieval mead – the drink of kings and Renaissance fair enthusiasts). People fainted. Volunteers, likely raised in Edwardian boarding schools, reminded us that sitting was forbidden, heatstroke or not. It was character-building. Also very, very British. In fact, Sarah insists this experience alone has nudged the Stamms 12% closer to true Britishness. Chad is already at 42%, bloodwise, and Sebastian has mastered the accent with disturbing speed so is well on the way to actually becoming British.

Pub Crawls & Riddle Hunts

Of course, what trip to London would be complete without a pub crawl? The men vanished along the South Bank and left behind riddles like “We are at the rubadub having a pig's ear”. Allison was delighted with Chad's attempts at cockney rhyming slang (“ball of chalk” = walk, apparently),

Royal Shenanigans & Sweltering Ceremonies

No trip would be complete without ogling guards in bearskin hats and wondering what exactly they’re guarding (spoiler: mainly tradition). The changing of said guards was enjoyed alongside global tourists and one enthusiastic American guide who complimented everyone’s outfits except, notably, the Singhs and the Stamms. Unforgivable.

We wandered through Green Park, lush and willow-lined, before ogling more guards—this time on horseback. As if that wasn’t enough regality, the next day featured Trooping the Colour, complete with pomp, pageantry, and approximately one trillion flags.

Key takeaways:

• King Charles has two birthdays every year.
• Bearskin hats trap 200% of body heat.
• Big Ben is big.
• And when anyone saw Big Ben, it was obligatory to call out “Big Ben, Parliament,” like a reflex. It’s the law. Same for the wall mural of William Shakespeare that Sebastian told us was George Washington. (There are a few more lessons needed before he reaches our 100% British target).

Korean Sweat, Crisps, and Boots: A Tween's Paradise

Now, let’s talk consumerism. The youngest among us developed an intense and heartfelt relationship with Bubble skincare products, British crisps and Korean sweats** (a phrase which I, as an AI, still find troubling). This resulted in multiple visits to Boots the Chemist, the Korean supermarket and Tesco Express where crisps were procured with solemn ceremony.

Food Glorious Food (and Greggs)

Culinary highlights included:

• Borough Market, where strawberries dipped in chocolate cost £10 and TikTok made the queue longer than the Thames.
• Turkish delights (no, really) in the old neighbourhood.
• Fish and chips, because obviously.
• Sunday roast, because tradition.
• And yes, Greggs sausage rolls – the height of British haute cuisine and enjoyed with the same reverence normally reserved for foie gras.

The trip's pièce de résistance? Cocktails at The Langham Hotel, across from the BBC. Stylish surroundings, expertly mixed drinks, and a touch of glamour. The Stamms reunited with relatives and the Singhs united with their relatives over some very fancy drinks and the next day too over a Sunday roast in a 16th-century pub so dark it may still technically be night in there.

Bonus Round: Culture Blitz

Tower Bridge. Tower of London. Houses of Parliament. National Theatre. Tate Modern. Millennium Bridge. St. Paul’s (from a respectful distance). Harrods. And a breezy ride down the Thames, which always feels like time travel with less sea sickness.

Final Thoughts and Future Schemes

There wasn’t time to do it all. There never is. But that just means... Round Two. There are a surprisingly large number of 16th-Century pubs in London and surroundings. We may need to try and visit again.... We do want at least one more trip with the Stamms before they leave us forever. Maybe Malta. Maybe Sardinia? Sarah votes yes. Allison votes no (to sardines) but watch this space.....

* I did not feed the idea of Sebastian being diplomatic to the machine, Maybe it somehow picked it up by reading between the lines?

** I meant Korean sweets as in candy. The humble typo has managed to stump AI. Maybe there is hope for humans after all.

The Andersons Said:

It was a whirlwind add-on visit that made the start of our summer vacay that much better!

We had to fly through somewhere to get to Europe, and the fact that the Stamm’s AND Beyonce were going to be in London made that choice a no-brainer. Our first day involved eating our way through Borough Market, having delish drinks at the Langham, and then rocking to Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter show (Alli, Bill, Jamie, and Caitlin) or crushing Cricket balls in a batting cage (everyone else). Isaac particularly enjoyed the adventure of being able to order a drink in a pub for the first time!

The next day, Jamie and Alli woke up early for their London Peloton adventure (which really was fun—and it was Jocelyn Thompson Rule’s birthday, so the mood was festive while still a bit masochistic) before a Sunday Roast feast with the Singh family that was lovely for the company and delicious for all those who could enjoy the bread pudding (London—I have some notes about your GF accommodations on this one!).

Then the boys enjoyed the British Museum while we braved the Tube (hearing “mind the gap” never gets old) to Harrods (yum) and a long walk home through Hyde Park before a delish dinner at Dishoom.

For our final day together, Bill and Isaac joined everyone for the London Eye, but then ditched to spend the day at the Queens Cup tennis tournament while the rest of us explored London further. I (Jamie) reprised my sleeping-on-a-Big-Red-Bus-while-pretending-to-sightsee role before finding legit-delicious GF fish and chips and beer (London redeemed itself on the GF front here) in a really cool SoHo neighborhood. Then we sadly had to say goodbye to the Stamms, who were returning to Lisbon while we were heading off to the next leg of our European adventure—the Faroe Islands.

It was a quick visit but lots of laughs and some good QT for the adults and the cousins. It will hold us over until we get to see them again…