The actress and mother of two, known for roles in Planet of the Apes, Catch Me If You Can, and The Prince and Me film franchise, relocated to the Algarve with her family, seeking a fresh start. After modeling briefly for Lisbon Elite modeling agency, Kam is now the social editor for Portugal’s Wherever Magazine and is helping develop a web series. She reflected on the life-changing move.

Choosing Portugal

The idea of leaving California became increasingly appealing during the pandemic. “I had my baby in 2020, and it was at the height of everything,” Kam shared. “Crime was escalating, we had the George Floyd protests, the pandemic took its toll, wildfires were spreading, and then a 4.3 earthquake followed. It felt like we needed to make a change.”

Further adding, “In LA, we have these drills called Run, Hide, Fight for active shooter situations. My stepdaughter had gone through that in school, and we felt that if we could avoid that for our boys, that would be great.”

Kam spoke candidly, sharing, “I think there is a fortitude to people in LA which I see now that I am away from it. There is a lot of community support and people looking out for others which is really nice and I miss that to some degree but since we have been in Portugal, a weight has lifted. I feel like there has been a focus back on what life should be about, instead of surviving.”

A solo scouting trip in December 2021 sealed the deal. “Arriving in Portugal was like stepping into a dream. The skies were clear, the air was clean, and the food was incredibly fresh and very farm-to-table. It felt like we were safe and could finally relax.”


Kam shared that the move has been an adjustment from LA life but that she has embraced a more relaxed lifestyle. “The Algarve reminds me of California, maybe 60 years ago—before everything became so industrialized. It has a similar climate but with cleaner air and less crime.”

Adding, “It’s nice to slow life down for yourself and your family. The roundabout system was new for me, but it’s been an adventure!”. She also noticed the thoughtful conveniences in Portugal, sharing “There are priority queues for things that we don’t have in the US, such as parking spots for families which is really nice. One of the few difficulties we’ve had is the amount of paperwork and bureaucracy hurdles in certain instances. In fact, Almancil has a commemorative rubber stamp statue in the centre of it.”

Navigating the Move

The family’s relocation did not come without challenges. Although they managed to sell their LA home quickly, Kam lost her father during the visa process. “My father was in Colorado, so we moved there in the final phase of his life. The day we had our visa interview was actually the day my father passed away.”


Despite the hardship, Kam pushed forward. Her best advice about the visa process is “doing it all in one go and being methodical about it. I did my entire family’s visas and I found that it’s not impossible, but you have to sit down and wrap your head around what needs to be done.”

Healthcare

It was great to hear Kam’s thoughts on Portugal’s healthcare system, “I got private health insurance as soon as I moved, and I have to say that the health situation here is so much easier than in the US. The top tier platinum insurance here costs less than the minimal bronze insurance in the US”. She also appreciates the balance between private and public healthcare, “I just find it a refined process here, as you can get private insurance but there is the national healthcare system, acting as two safety nets.”

Even dealing with car insurance was a smoother process. “I got a rock on my windshield while driving in Spain over Christmas, and it cracked almost the entire way. In the US, you’d have to go through multiple steps with insurance, wait for approvals, and find a place that takes your coverage. Here, I called the car glass place, gave them my license plate number, and they handled everything directly with my insurance—offering me appointment options right away.”

Health is Wealth

Beyond safety and healthcare, Kam has been struck by the differences in food quality. When you visit Portugal, you can’t help but notice the plethora of bakeries (pastelarias), so fresh bread is never far away. Kam couldn’t agree more, sharing, “There are bakeries everywhere, and it is not breaking the bank to buy bread. In the US, we would get the square loaves and two months later, we would still be eating bread from that loaf. Whereas here, a day after you get a baguette, it is rock hard and stale because it is fresh.”

Kam also added, “When I first moved here in 2020, I could get an entire cart of groceries for €75, versus $300 in the US. I have also noticed the natural flavours of food comes through a lot more. My kid’s couldn’t believe that the apples were apples because in the US the apples are big and perfect looking and taste so different. My kids had to adjust as the ones here are smaller, they may have a bruise and they taste more tart but they have no chemicals.”


Active Family Lifestyle

Kam told The Portugal News, that she has found the Algarve a great place to raise her children and that they have taken time to settle, having had to navigate the pandemic and a huge move. “I find that the schools are safe and I really like how multicultural they are and I like that my kids are exposed to different languages and truly different cultures and both my kids have got a British accent since living here.”

Kam added, “Sports are much more featured here, especially football, which we call soccer. Football is huge here! I’m a competitive paddle player and I have found there is such a huge community around sport.”

Despite her deep connection to LA, Kam appeared confident that she made the right choice for her family, whereby she concluded our conversation by saying “I don't mean to disparage LA, it is going through a lot and it has been my home for 25 years. It is different and depends on what you want out of life. Some people really enjoy the excitement and the cosmopolitan nature and glamour of LA. I get that because I have been a part of that but if you are ready to step out into something new, Portugal is a great place to step into.”

Author

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes