The #1 Reason Why we Plan to Stay
Defining Quality of Life
I have spent the last several hours scouring scholarly articles on “quality of life” (QoL). Frankly, I have spent the last several weeks thinking about it. How do I describe this elusive term to friends and relatives who ask, “You mean you are never coming back?”
Definitions
I was watching a YouTube video the other night called The Top 5 Reasons Why We Don’t Plan to Move Back to the U.S. The couple’s number one reason was quality of life. In attempting to describe this, they commented on the collectivist mindset that permeates the Portuguese culture. While I agree, I must admit they demonstrated as much difficulty describing their sense of “improved quality of life” as I have.
But, here’s the good news. We are not alone. It seems it is a difficult term to describe.
QoL seems to be a vague, ambiguous and difficult concept to define, widely used, but with little consistency. — Galloway, et al. 2006
Of course, the definitions I found were influenced by the organization offering its opinion.
CEO World ranks Portugal #23, the USA #14, and Finland #1 heavily weighted by financial/economic considerations.
Investopedia sites job satisfaction, income, commuting time, etc.
In my research, I found numerous articles on QoL as defined by medical professionals related to end-of-life care, pain management, etc.
I did find one that was a bit more comprehensive. It is an 8-dimensional matrix developed by Eurostat, the statistical arm of the E.U. It includes material living conditions, productive or main activity, health, education, leisure and social interactions, economic security and physical safety, governance and basic rights, natural and living environment, and overall experience of life.
Phone a Friend
Seeking more input, I asked Denise. Frankly, her response surprised me. The first two issues she mentioned were related to political unrest and safety. I was surprised because Denise never read a newspaper or watched TV news/commentary. She chose, very consciously, not to pollute her mind with items she felt were outside her control. When I challenged her she replied, “I may not have known all the names and the nitty-gritty like you do, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have a sense of what was going on. I knew at a macro level the direction the U.S. was headed.”
And as it related to safety, (we were fortunate to live in safe communities), her response rang true, “You don’t have to live in Chicago to be affected by the number of gun deaths that occur there every week.”
I also texted several expat friends as well…expecting a one or two-line definition. Instead, I got paragraphs, which I expect will become a future post.
The Sun on the Sea
In the middle of writing this post, Onix woke up and asked me to take her out. It was 07:08. As we walked out the front door I glimpsed the sun reflecting on the sea. We walked by cafes setting up tables on the sidewalk and I imagined patrons lingering over a single cup of espresso for an hour or more. I thought about the shop owners that close their doors from 13:00 to 14:30 so they can enjoy lunch with family.
Somehow all these things have begun to permeate my life. It is feeling … a change in my emotional state. Part of this, I am sure, is the pleasure and excitement of learning new things. As I wrote about before, our desire to learn from different cultures was part of the “why” which prompted our move. I have also noticed that I am finding more pleasure in some of my hobbies. I spend more time practicing guitar here than I did in the States. While I always enjoyed painting, I have taken up watercolor and have learned to enjoy my inability to control the medium. And there is writing this blog and hearing from people that enjoy reading it. Of course, I could have done all these things in the States. But I didn’t…
Nice post! Quality of life may be hard to define, but you know it when you feel it.
I felt it often in many other countries. It’s harder for me to feel back here in the US. When I ponder why that is, I think a lot is the consumer mindset here - things over experiences. Years ago, I lived in a big, fancy house in the suburbs; now I live in a tiny studio apartment. Some friends seem to feel bad for me, that I don’t have much “stuff,” and yet I’m actually happier now! With less space to keep clean, less things to organize, less expensive overhead to pay for, I can take those long walks on the beach or hikes in the forest, and linger over a glass of wine, without feeling guilty about it. I can also take off to visit interesting places, like Portugal (albeit on a budget). Unfortunately, it’s hard to find friends who also have such freedom. They’re busy still working to pay for more stuff, and those retired are too busy mowing the lawn and getting their home repairs fixed. Might be time to get my backpack back out, and head off to faraway places again :)
One of the amazing things I have learned since living here is that realtors don't work on Saturday or Sunday. A realtor in the US wouldn't have a business. It is all about a work/life balance. I love it.