Our Story
We are From Lisbon with love
Real stories about love, laughter and life in Lisbon from women who left it all behind
Moving alone to a new country is scary as f*ck, no matter your age, where you go, where you’re from and how well traveled you are. It’s like completing a game and then go all the way back to beginner’s level.
It forces you to be vulnerable, get out of your comfortzone and put yourself out there – frightening, we know.
But what if you take the leap and it turns out even better than expected?
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this journey is it that you can create beautiful new connections and find soulsisters along the way – like we did.
That’s how From Lisbon With Love was born.
The podcast where we share real stories about moving to Lisbon, starting over and figuring life out along the way.
We talk love, dating, friendships, breakups, healing, growing, all of it. Basically, the stuff we usually talk about over coffee or vinho.
If you’re thinking about moving abroad or just love honest convos with heart – You’re in the right place.
with love,
April Betts and Anna Jirina
Meet April Betts
founder
Hello, I’m April! I’m from Los Angeles by way of Missouri. From a young age, I’ve followed my passion wherever it led me. As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a doctor, which led me to earn a degree in Biology, only to realize that wasn’t my true passion.
At five years old, I told my family I wanted to move to Los Angeles and at 22, fresh out of college, I made that dream a reality. Along the way, I discovered a deep love for storytelling and performing, which led me into acting.
I also fell in love with the world. Solo traveling became my thing when I got tired of waiting for others to have the time or money to come with me. I figured it out on my own, whether that meant renting out my apartment on Airbnb to fund my adventures or finding creative ways to keep moving forward. To starting my own business. I’ve always believed: there’s always a way, you just have to want to find it.
And now? I’m living another dream. One I’ve carried since my first trip to Europe. I knew from that moment that someday, I’d call it home. Today, I’m building a beautiful life in Lisbon, continuing this incredible journey of creativity, courage, and reinvention. I’m so excited for what’s still to come!
a few of my favorite things
Favorite movie
Dirty Dancing
Coffee order
Geen tea or chai latte
Couldn’t live without
Salsa dancing, Bella (my dog) and my family
Favorite destination
Italy
My guilty pleasure
Reality TV, Häagen-Dazs ice cream
Favorite Color
Blue
On repeat
Joss Stone
Currently Binging
90 day fiancé
Meet Anna Jirina
founder
Hi, I’m Anna! I’m originally from The Netherlands. After getting my bachelor in graphic design & styling at Academie Artemis in Amsterdam, I moved to the North (Groningen) – a beautiful and cosy city that I called home for 7 years.
From a young age, I’ve been super passionate about design, sharing stories and educating people – first on my lifestyleblog annajirina.nl that I started when I was 17(!) years old, later with my own webshop (where I sold clothing with my own designs) and now with my business Studio Anna Jirina. I make SEO optimized and automated webshops in WordPress for ambitious webshop owners that want to make more profit.
Also, I love traveling to sunny destinations – since the Dutch winters have been way too harsh for my sensitive soul. In 2020 I went on my first solo trip to Lisbon. I fell in love with the city and many more visits followed – 9 in total, because I wanted to be very sure about moving here.
To be honest: it turned out better than I could ever imagine. It feels like I unlocked a new part of myself – one that’s thriving, overflowing with creativity and just take things as they come.
Our podcast From Lisbon With Love is proof, since it’s never been on my list, but somehow it just clicked and it all feels so natural – like it’s meant to be. Currently I’m also writing my first book. And who knows what else will follow? Whatever it is, I’ll make it work.
a few things about me
My love language
Taking me to happy hour
zodiac sign
Taurus ♉ (and yes, all the clichés are true)
allergy
Nuts (NOT peanuts, since it isn’t a nut 🤪)
Favorite destination
Greece (the islands)
favorite breakfast
Oats with banana and peanut butter
my secret talent
All you can eat and talk for hours
I’m obsessed with
Guinea pigs
i’m afraid of
Flying (very inconvenient when you’ve moved abroad lol)
Keep up with us
Our episodes
Listen to our podcast on the website
Our video episodes
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