Have you ever thought about selling everything and moving overseas for a fresh start? What would you do if it didn’t work out quite like you hoped?

In this episode, I chat with Lilly Quintal, who moved with her family from South Africa to Portugal after long-term financial struggles and the hope for a better future. Lilly opens up about what happened when they arrived, only to find out, months later, that they had been lied to and were faced with nothing but empty promises. What followed was months of debilitating depression, struggling to get the support they needed and having to say goodbye to the half a million rand they had spent to try and make their new life happen. It was a tough journey, and after 21 months in Portugal, Lilly and her family decided to return to South Africa.

I really appreciated Lilly’s honesty and courage in sharing the reality behind her emigration story, especially given how challenging the experience turned out to be.

It was uplifting to hear about how they eventually found a support system, made lifelong friends and reunited with family. Let Lily's story be a cautionary tale to anyone looking to immigrate: always, always do your due diligence before making the move.

“There was a lot of guilt, the fact that I'd left them behind going to Portugal for a better future and then unfortunately things just didn't work out.” - Lilly Quintal

00:00 Introduction

02:16 Deciding to leave South Africa

03:28 Empty promises

05:26 “I hit rock bottom”

06:25 Doing due diligence

09:12 Finding community in Portugal

12:55 My heart was in SA

14:50 Longing to come back home

17:52 Struggling with depression

21:04 Seeking a better future financially

23:35 Blessed to be back

24:47 Do your homework

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com