I am so glad that I stumbled upon your essays. I'm an American who has been wintering in Spain for 17 years. I've passed some time in Portugal as well. Although I'm not an expat, I know a lot of expats from England, Germany, Ireland, America and more. They often share a love of their adopted country without acknowledging that from their position of some privilege, they can ignore the domestic concerns that exist. What I've discovered having lived all over the world is that the histories of each country influence the present situations more than we might think. America is a young country laden with many, many problems. Portugal has accumulated a long history. Both must deal with their past transgressions however. I loved Portugal. Each time that I visited, I wanted to stay forever. Porto is one of my favorite cities. But I'm a realist. I fully understand that paradise does not exist anywhere on this planet. Thank you for sharing this story.