When Johanne and I arrived in the Algarve in early September we were both overcome by an emotion that we could not properly describe. We could not find the words. It was almost tangible but rather foreign to us. The best we could come up with was Bitter/Sweet.

Bitter because our 4 years of global trotting had come to a screeching halt, precipitated by this all-encompassing pandemic. Our flights had been cancelled!

Sweet because we had touched down in a country that is one of the most welcoming in the world. Portugal generously offers a way of life that is difficult to surpass anywhere else. *

Little did we know the emptiness that we were feeling had a name. It is an emotion that is very alive in the soul of this country and its people. Saudade lives throughout Portugal’s history and culture. It is a commonly used word and is part of the Portuguese daily language.  It is a feeling deeply connected to the Portuguese soul. It is found in its poetry and is a popular theme in Fado- the Portuguese music style.

Portugal is a tiny nation laying at the edge of the vast Atlantic.  It is from these shores that families waved goodbye to fearless maritime adventurers. Men who sailed off the end of the earth with little hope of ever being reunited. No wonder yearning and loss became ingrained in the soul of this nation.

The word Saudade might be rooted in the Latin solitas, it may also be Arabic in origin. In any case, it is not easily translated: melancholy, yearning, incompleteness come close. It is nostalgic and romantic.

Today, I know that most of us are having a challenge with emotions similar to Saudade. We are in a time where we have had to make huge adjustments to deal with issues that are well beyond our control. We are longing for a time that may not come back to us anytime soon, if at all.  Staring off into uncertainty.

Discovering the word for this emotion, defining it, and taking it into our vocabulary has made it much easier for us to accept and appreciate where we are and what we are coping with. It seems that the Portuguese have a lesson for us.  “And today is another day.”

 *Here is a wonderful article about why Portugal is such an ideal place to touch down:  Why Portugal

I would love to hear if  Saudade has been part of your experience: