23 Aug 2026
How a Coffee Cocktail Got Me a Solar Eclipse ☀️☕️
From Montana to Portugal
How a Coffee Cocktail Got Me a Solar Eclipse ☀️☕️
After a little podcast hiatus, I’m back with a lot to tell you.
And today’s episode begins with some very big news: after months of paperwork, uncertainty, and considerably more worrying than was probably necessary, my Portuguese residency renewal was approved. 🎉
Then we get into what I’m doing next with From Montana to Portugal, including the evolution of the podcast, my Substack, travel writing, interviews, and the Good Life Club I’m building for people who want my personally tested recommendations.
And then, naturally, there’s a solar eclipse.
More specifically, there’s a last-minute shortage of eclipse glasses, a Lisbon hotel rooftop, a €16 coffee cocktail, a very helpful waiter, New York-style pizza, and a strategically selected trio of gelato flavors.
In this episode, I’ll tell you:
* 🇵🇹 The email from Portuguese immigration that nearly made me freak out ... and why it turned out to be one of the best emails I’ve received all year.
* 🧳 Why the second time around with Portuguese residency felt completely different from the terrifying high-stakes experience of moving here in the first place.
* ❤️ What this past year of rebuilding has taught me, and why learning Portuguese is becoming my next big project.
* ✍️ Why I’m shifting From Montana to Portugal toward more original essays, travel stories, interviews, and discoveries.
* 🎙️ What I’m planning to do differently with this podcast, including conversations with writers, travelers, coffee shop owners, and other interesting people I meet along the way.
* ☀️ How I managed to find eclipse glasses when every pharmacy and grocery store in Lisbon seemed to be sold out.
* 🍸 Why a hotel “Eclipse Happy Hour” and a €16 coffee cocktail became part of the solution.
* 🌑 What it actually felt like to stand on a Lisbon rooftop watching the sun turn into a banana and then a smile.
* 🎶 The unexpected connection between a solar eclipse, a song about heartbreak, and the strange feeling of being a small-town girl living far from home.
* 🍕 Where I went for a 20-inch New York-style pizza after the eclipse.
* 🍨 Why choosing three gelato flavors became a serious strategic exercise.
* 🐐 What I’m planning for the sold-out Portugal goat tour coming in October.
* 🎨 The small creative retreat I’m hosting in September.
* 🗺️ And a little preview of the Good Life Club, my growing collection of personally experienced and personally recommended places, adventures, travel discoveries, and other very good things.
And there’s one more little twist...
The next total solar eclipse visible from North America will pass through northeastern Montana in 2044.
So apparently this whole Montana-to-Portugal thing has come full circle.
With a little luck and a whole lot of happy hours, I plan to be there.
Read the essay
The written version of the eclipse story, “How a Coffee Cocktail Got Me a Solar Eclipse,” is available on my Substack, along with my other essays and stories from Portugal and beyond.
Read From Montana to Portugal on Substack (https://janelleholden.substack.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
About the podcast
From Montana to Portugal is the audio companion to my writing about moving abroad, travel, Portugal, reinvention, good things, and building a life that feels like your own.
I’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes stories from my essays, plus conversations with interesting people I meet along the way.
And eventually, quite a lot of coffee. ☕️
Thanks for being here.
Love,Janelle
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit janelleholden.substack.com/subscribe (https://janelleholden.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
