My boss looked as pale as a ghost.

A tiny drop of sweat started forming on his forehead, and the eyes showed absolute terror, as he saw the end of his life approaching at fast speed.

He grabbed the seat until his fingers hurt, waiting for the moment. Waiting for the end of it all. For the plane to crash.

But it didn’t.

That’s why, a few months later, he got to tell me his experience landing at Madeira airport, in Portugal, on a day of particularly bad weather.

My boss was a businessman. He flew almost every week, short and long haul. He was not afraid of flying, but this experience was one of the scariest of his life. No wonder, he was flying to one of the most dangerous airports in the world. …

Let me be honest with you: I am writing this to save myself some time.

Over the years, I have spent hours explaining the difference between pastel de nata and pastel de Belém to foreigners who have visited my home country of Portugal. Wherever we meet in the world, they always mention the pastel de nata that they tried and loved in their last visit to Lisbon. And then I always realize they didn’t try pastel de nata but pastel de Belém.

Then, an explanation follows. Now I can just direct them to this article. I might even direct some Portuguese to this article. Yes, I’ve had to explain this to some of our own people. …

I have lived in 4 countries: Portugal, France, the UK, and Hungary. Moving to a new country is one of the most exciting, rewarding experiences you can have in life. It pushes your boundaries, it forces you to grow, and it turns you into a much richer person.

But, let’s be honest, it can also be hard. Leaving behind your comfort, your home, your people, is something only the brave do. But even the brave ones can use a little help when making such a move. …

In the Spring of 2017, I was a sulphuric acid reporter in London. Yes, that’s a real job.

The whole thing happened in an office, with managers and co-workers, and it sucked the life out of me every day.

At 29, I wanted more. I wanted to travel, see the world, be free. I wanted a flexible schedule, work on my own projects, create things I loved. I despised the office.

So, I quit. I moved back to my home country of Portugal and started working as a freelance writer. I lived alone and worked at home, alone.

Life was great, until it wasn’t. I missed people. Me, a born loner, who took pride in being able to go days without human interaction. …

Springsteen entered my life the way most big loves do: casually, unintendedly, almost unnoticeably. But before I knew it, his music had carved a place in my soul forever.

Nobody states simple truths about life in a more beautiful way than the Boss. His songs bring to life characters who struggle, live, love, and feel the same way you and I do. Let their lessons be your lessons too.

Choosing the wisest, most impactful lyrics from almost 50 years of songs is not a work carved in stone, what speaks to my heart might not speak to yours. But the Boss has a universality to him that rarely fails to make people feel something in their guts. …

As we leave behind this annus horribilis, let us embrace 2021 with an open mind, a wild heart, and a will to live.

Let us learn from the master of spontaneity, who faced every day with an eagerness to devour the wonders of the world. Jack Kerouac, the man who said: “I promise I shall never give up, and that I’ll die yelling and laughing”.

Let us draw inspiration from his words to trick our eyes into seeing the turning of the year as an opportunity to start over, to let go of the past, to move forward, to be born again. …

Hungarian is one of the five hardest languages to learn in the world. Two years ago I moved to Budapest and have been trying to tame the wild beast that is the local language. On the way, I learned a trick or two that you can use in your own language learning process.

1. 4 Tricks to Learn a Language Faster — because, let’s be real, we all want to become fluent tomorrow
2. How to Learn Vocabulary in a New Language Quickly — because vocabulary is the foundation of a language
3. How to Help Someone Learn Your Language — believe me, there is a good and a not so good way to do…