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Jessica Jones

@msjsquared

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💎 Multifaceted American with an Açorean rib
🌍The real tea on living abroad
👐🏽 Helping people see the world differently & more lovingly

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Please share this with anyone you know who is navigating a transitional season. Grief takes many forms and all grief is valid. 🙏🏽🤍

Remember that the things in our lives that we perceive as “valuable” are only given their value because we helped to build them: that career, that business, that home, that family — they existed because of YOU. And you can rebuild. 🫂

I really wish I could have shared this with some folks we’ve lost. I’m grateful that I am learning this now. I hope it gives you comfort if you’re also losing some external structures and rediscovering yourself, your value, and your purpose.

Today marks exactly 4 years since I tore down nearly every structure I had built my life around to rebuild in the Açores. I’ve been reflecting on the sacrifices it took to get here and the sacrifices that continue in my effort to stay.

Not enough people talk about the struggles that come during transition — especially when so many people look with awe and envy from the outside in. INSIDE, it can feel very different. The experience is tremendously life changing, but I also won’t sugarcoat it. More to come…

Abraços 🫂🫶🏽

Jess

And yes, I am one of the many actors losing my SAG-AFTRA membership today, after more than a decade of membership and 25+ credits, including commercial work. Sending love to everyone right now. We’re gonna be all right 🫂✨And I will rejoin.

#livingabroad #movingabroad #lifetransitions #griefandloss #actors by @msjsquared

Two weeks ago, I lost the very last connection between my old life and the new one I am building in the Açores. I moved here with 3 suitcases, a backpack, and my boys. I don’t know if you can imagine what it feels like to know the last witness to your life is gone.

I spent nearly every waking and sleeping hour for the past 14-15 years with Zimmy and Mr. Bojangles and now they are both gone. I don’t have a partner, I don’t have kids, and I don’t have relationships with my immediate family members that feel emotionally supportive. I had my boys.

Navigating this transitional season was mostly tolerable because they were there: their purrs, their cuddles, their comforting presence. But Bo was so special. He really was my very best friend.

I met him on a rainy night in the SFV in a Target parking lot — a mange-ridden cat pouncing around the bushes. I rescued him, nursed him back to health (it wouldn’t be the only time) and gave him so much love.

He was adventurous & stubborn — he never lost his love for “outside” and was a notorious escape artist. I’ll never forget when one of my neighbors brought him over and admitted that he and Bo had a daily appointment at 4pm to watch “The O.C.” (Yes, my cat actually escaped for about a week every day to watch The O.C.), or when I was beside myself for first 2 weeks, then 2 MONTHS when Bo went exploring Furnas after we moved to the island. But he always came home, because he knew where home was and who loved him most of all.

And I know he loved me. We had a special song, we danced together, he loved to be picked up & swung high towards the ceiling (he had to be the highest always), he loved to be scratched around his ears and underneath his chin, he gave kisses and could sit for treats, he loved teaser toys and kicked his “rabbit paws” when he got excited. He shed like a mofo and walked around like he owned the world. He loved people and had many friends — including some of you.

He was strong. And he fought SO HARD to stay until his very last day. It breaks my heart to not have him here and to not have been able to save him this last time.

I will love you forever, Mr. Bojangles—the best Bo that I know. 🤍🖤 by @msjsquared

The United States of America makes YOU pay to grieve. 🇺🇸There is currently no federal law that requires private employers to provide either paid OR unpaid bereavement leave. That decision is left up to the states.

In my home state of California ☀️, employers are required to provide up to 5 days of UNPAID leave (if they have 5+ employees), but you can use your sick leave if ya wanna…. 👀

In Portugal 🇵🇹, on the other hand, you are entitled to 2-20 consecutive days of fully paid, justified bereavement leave depending upon your relationship to the deceased. It’s in the Portuguese Labour Code.

Beyond paid leave, Portugal has an entirely different approach to mourning the loss of loved ones:
🤍 Widows traditionally wear all white
🤍 Church bells often toll if the deceased was a beloved community member
🤍 Long wakes and gatherings bring neighbors, friends, and family together for days to pay their respects

These are just some of the traditions — not always held — but the overall message is different: you are HUMAN first; you are not a machine. And the feelings are valid.

Sending love to everyone navigating a season of grief 🫂🤍

(no, that mic was not working….)

#livingabroad #portugal #unitedstates #griefandloss #culturaldifferences by @msjsquared

Shout out to my lil homies & their namesakes on World Animal Day…🐈‍⬛💜

Each of my babies was rescued from the streets (3 by me) & here they are in the order they were adopted:

💜 Miss Kitty Holiday 🪽✨ ➡️ Billie Holiday
💜 Mr. Bojangles ➡️ Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
💜 Zimmy 🪽✨➡️ Bob Zimmerman (“Zimmy”) Dylan
💜 Eartha Mae Kitten ➡️ Eartha Mae Kitt

Animals are sentient beings and they deserve love, care, compassion, and kindness.

My baby boy Bo is nearing the time to get his wings and I have been not taking it well at all. Please keep us in your prayers. 🙏🏽✨💜

#worldanimalday #rescuedismyfavouritebreed #animalwelfare #catmom #rescuecatsofinstagram by @msjsquared

Lanche 🤪 You can have your Papo Seco, gimme gimme more Pão de Deus 😇

In my defense, Pingo Doce was having a sale & I finished my second Portuguese exam. 🙌🏽✨ Also, thank you @puretuga for this new addiction that I am very sure I will regret 🤣 You know I had café com canela with this ☕️

Too many delicious pães in Portugal and Os Açores!!!

#portuguesefood #snacktime #pão #livingabroad #azoresislands by @msjsquared

Thinking of moving to Portugal? 🇵🇹 For me, hiring a consultancy to help with the visa process gave me peace of mind. I still did all of the hard work, but not having to second guess everything and having people who were Portuguese locals in my corner throughout the process was priceless! 🙌🏽✨

You can 100% save money if you can DIY! And if you’ve already navigated a move abroad or obtained a residency visa or passport from another country, you may not need to work with someone else. Do what’s best for you. I am just sharing my personal experience of moving to the Azores.

And yes—I’ll also share more about learning Portuguese, because it’s no joke, @learn_european_portuguese_app 😅😅😅

#movingtoportugal #movingabroad #livingabroad #residencyvisa #portugal by @msjsquared

Relocating to a new country? 🌏 Instead of trudging through the paperwork and requirements, trying to guess which visa is right for you, or trying to set up your life abroad from a distance, you may consider getting some help 😅

👉🏽 Relocation Services primarily help set up your life in your new location. They may offer: real estate or rental assistance, getting a bank account and/or NIF (in Portugal), assistance in shipping your things, etc. Some may include visa services as part of relocation packages.

👉🏽 Visa Consultancies can help you determine which visa is right for you, help with organizing deadlines, paperwork, and other requirements.

👉🏽 Immigration Attorneys can not only help consult with you regarding your visa application, but they can look over your paperwork from a legal perspective and offer you legal counsel. They may also be able to represent you in court.

Sometimes, visa consultants work with immigration attorneys (this is my favorite option!), so you have someone helping facilitate the application process AND have the peace of mind that everything is legally in order.

🚨 This is not legal advice. I don’t work for any company that is offering relocation or counsel regarding obtaining a residency visa. If any information here is proven to be factually incorrect, I will update the post. I’m speaking from my personal experience as an immigrant.

#movingabroad #livingabroad #immigrantstories #portugal #movingtoportugal by @msjsquared

Because if I really wanted to scam, it would be selling feet pics, not hopes and dreams 🤪😆😩

But seriously, be wary of any influencer who paints a pretty picture then asks for a hefty price tag. Moving abroad is NOT cheap, but you should never pay a relocation service $10k+ per person to help you do it.

If you really want more information on moving to Portugal, or specifically the Açores, ask me anything! I will also share the ups and downs of moving to another country—not just the “fun” stuff. 💜

#livingabroad #portugal #movingtoportugal #azoresislands #scams by @msjsquared

Have you thought about learning Portuguese IN Portugal? 🇵🇹

I’m starting class AGAIN as part of my journey #livingabroad in São Miguel, Açores and let me tell you all about the good and *interesting* bits of studying a language through a program like the one I am taking via CRESAÇOR.

Honestly? I love that being in this class is yet another intercultural experience beyond just learning a new language and my Professora is actually REALLY good 😊 (and I know a good language teacher when I see one — my mother teaches Spanish).

Let’s see how it goes…fourth or fifth time’s a charm? 😵‍💫😅

#azoresislands #learningportuguese #portugal #languagelearning by @msjsquared

What are you waiting for? ✈️ Live. 🙌🏽✨

On Nov. 1, 2026, it will officially be four years since I landed on São Miguel, Açores, and began a new life with just three suitcases and two cats. It has been the single most life-changing (and difficult!) thing I have ever done, but I will never regret being brave enough to do it.

If you’re feeling called to take a leap in your life, just do it. We don’t leave here alive, so make yours a life full of stories, adventures, and experiences you can reflect on in your later years — rather than regrets over the chances you didn’t take.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. 💜

#TakeTheLeap #LifeAbroad #LifeInPortugal #Azores #ResidencyVisa by @msjsquared

On a hot summer day, nothing hits like a cone simples from Quiosque Saraiva in Vila Franca do Campo, São Miguel, Açores 🍦✨

Even better, take that cone down the street and eat it at sunset 🌅 while taking in the view of the ilheu and listening to the waves crashing on the beach below. Bring your suit and take a dip afterwards if you’re in the mood. 🌊

Enjoy your stay here in paradise ☀️

📍Jardim Antero de Quental s/n, 9680-110 Vila Franca Do Campo, Portugal

Follow for more adventures in Açores 🤗

#azores #icecream #azoresislands #livingabroad #simplepleasures by @msjsquared

🍍The secret 🤫 to choosing a good Açorean pineapple (Ananás dos Açores) aka the King of Fruit!

Look for:
🍍 Multiple crowns (the more the better)

🍍 Large pines (use your thumb—if they’re as wide as your thumb or wider, you have a sweeter pineapple)

🌴São Miguel, Açores is the only place that grows real Azorean Pineapples, which have been growing here for 150 years. They are smaller and rounder than other pineapples, and take about 2 years to grow.

You can find them in local supermarkets, farmers markets, and frutarias. Many local restaurants offer pineapple as a dessert or a starter, usually paired with morcela (local blood sausage). OR, go straight to the source and pick one up from one of the pineapple plantations—I highly recommend touring and trying more pineapple treats like cakes, Queijadas, jam, gelado, juice, liqueur… 😋🤤🍍

When you’re here in São Miguel, visit:

📍Plantação Ananases A Arruda, R. Dr. Augusto Arruda, 9500-454 Ponta Delgada

📍 Casa Cayenne, R. Carlos Ferreira 24, 9500-449 São Roque

📍 Ananás Santo António, R. jose manuel bernardo cabral 1, 9500-450 Ponta Delgada

📍Plantação de Ananás dos Açores, R. das Laranjeiras, 9500-317 Ponta Delgada (where this was filmed)

🧷 Save this for your visit to the #Azores 🍍☀️

#pineapple #azoresislands #portuguesefood #portugal by @msjsquared