In a story that feels tailor-made for Thanksgiving reflection, Joch Woodruff shares his journey from a childhood filled with family stories around the dinner table to a life-changing trip that planted the seed for his dream retirement. Thanksgiving had always been about storytelling for Woodruff, the kind that connects family, sparks conversation, and sometimes, directs destiny.
In 1979, a hotel marketing executive at the time, he found himself reluctantly boarding a State Department flight to Lisbon the day after Thanksgiving. Portugal wasn’t on his wish list, but the warmth of the people, the beauty of the streets, and the slow rhythm of life quickly won him over. During a farewell banquet, overcome with emotion, he spontaneously declared that one day he would retire there.
Decades later, true to his word and to his father’s belief that spoken dreams have power, Woodruff made Portugal home. Now, each Thanksgiving, his story is retold, a reminder that dreams, when voiced, have a way of finding their path. For Woodruff, the lesson remains simple and enduring: speak your dreams aloud, because the universe just might be listening.
My Take…
I’m a big believer in the power of self belief, manifestation 🙂
Looks like Thanksgiving wasn’t all turkey and awkward political debates for Joch Woodruff.
The guy grew up swapping tales at the dinner table, apparently that counts as career training for destiny.
Fast‑forward a few decades, boom, he did it. Retired in Portugal. Story on repeat every Thanksgiving, proof that shouting your dreams into the universe sometimes works. Manifest‑ation, Gen‑X edition.
Click on the link below for the full article:
https://www.liveandinvestoverseas.com/countries/portugal/dream-on/
