05/12/2026
There’s something I’ve realized while living in Lisbon that I think many Americans are quietly craving: third spaces.
Not home.
Not work.
But the places in between.
The small cafés where people sit for an hour with coffee and conversation. The neighborhood pastry shops where someone grabs a croquette, tea, or espresso and actually pauses. The outdoor seating areas filled with people talking instead of rushing. The parks where the same faces appear every morning, afternoon, and evening like a living rhythm of community.
Living here in Amadora, I’ve experienced this firsthand. The park became one of my third spaces. And over time, I started noticing something beautiful: the consistency of people simply existing together.
Not networking.
Not performing.
Not consuming endlessly.
Just being human around other humans.
I think one of the reasons European life feels so appealing to many Americans is because many places here still protect and prioritize these spaces. Meanwhile, in the United States, many third spaces have slowly disappeared.
Churches and spiritual communities once served this role. Volunteer groups. Clubs. Parks. Community centers. Organizations like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Places where people gathered without the pressure of productivity or spending large amounts of money.
Now many people move between only two places: work and home.
And I honestly believe the loss of third spaces has deeply impacted mental health, loneliness, nervous system regulation, and our sense of belonging.
Being in Lisbon during this transition in my life showed me that healing sometimes isn’t just therapy, isolation, or self-help books. #
Sometimes healing is simply having somewhere to go where you can quietly exist among people.
LifeAbroad
