We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Barrett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Travel has always been meaningful. I mean, people have been traveling and enjoying travel for their own reasons. However, in today’s age of social media, it often looks like we are traveling more to check things and places off our lists while wearing a flowing dress and a wide-brimmed hat. You know, for the ‘gram.

Now, don’t get me wrong, not everyone does that or travels like that, but what it does is crowd the space for true authentic experiences to come through. The kind of experience that allows you to connect with the people and space around you. Where you forget to take out your phone, if even for a little while. And when you do take your phone out, it is to record a moment you don’t want to forget, because it has already changed you, and you know that is the feeling you want in your everyday life, at home and abroad.

Those are the kind of moments and stories that are behind the mission of The Saudade Life.

We create those stories through travel.  Like you, we seek out experiences that are not just good for the eyes (and for the ‘gram, of course. I actually do enjoy social media), but also sets our souls on fire; makes us fall in love with a destination or a life, and leaves us longing for more.

The word saudade can’t be summed up into one English word, but I can try and do it in several: Saudade is a Portuguese word that I like to say describes all the feelings and emotions that make up a life well-lived: nostalgia, intense love, loss, longing, desire, beauty, laughter, exploration, great friends, family, time well spent … all the things found in a great story.

It’s a unique way to travel. Whether it is a cooking class and wine tasting on a family-owned vineyard in Alentejo, a horseback ride through the misty Sintra mountains, or a sunset and port wine cruise along the Douro River. It’s an inspiring way to connect and feel the space around us. To fall in love with travel again, and not just on the surface.

That’s it. That is the “why” behind our movement. To travel deep. To create experiences that are impactful and lasting. To carry the experiences of travel and inspiration into our everyday lives. To find beauty, desire, intense love, longing, nostalgia, and laughter in all of it.

Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a travel and wine expert with a deep passion for the things that truly ignite my soul. I have lived in the Caribbean, the United States, and now in Europe, where I’ve had the privilege of extensively exploring its beautiful landscapes and rich culture.

Currently, I call the historic center of Seixal, Portugal, home, where, just a stone’s throw away from Lisbon, the local vibe, rich history, and breathtaking views are an endless source of life and travel inspiration. As a Portugal travel and wine curator, I host small-group food and wine experiences throughout Portugal’s most vibrant and intimate towns, vineyards, and wine regions.

With over 20 years in the travel and hospitality industry, I’ve had the opportunity to work in executive-level positions with some of the world’s leading hotel and travel brands. I’ve also worked extensively with travel consultants, airlines, and tourist boards across multiple countries and regions. In addition to my work as a curator and host, I serve as a strategic consultant for travel brands and travel consultants to help them grow their travel businesses.

With my experiences rooted in deep local connections, I aim to share the heart and soul of Portugal with others while creating unforgettable experiences, all while embracing the beauty of life’s simplest pleasures.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As far back as I can remember, I have lived my life urgently. I have always tried to dig deep in the moment and feel as I go. Let my heart guide me (not always best for business, but great for connections and relationships). These little ways of living I picked up from my parents, who always encouraged me to travel, read any and everything, explore, ask questions, and live as much as I can.

So, I did the most. I traveled. I learned a little about a lot of things. I worked my butt off, even while losing a little of myself in the process. I danced. I laughed. I collected people, places, and memories. Some of them real and lasting, but a lot of them … not so much.

My mother had the same spirit. She had the most infectious laugh. The life of the party, until she passed away at 47 years old, when I was in my early 20s. I saw that as a sign to live more of my life, which I did, until I was taken by surprise with a cancer diagnosis at 37 years old, on the one-year anniversary of my dad passing away from cancer.

While many people often decide to live a more meaningful life after a diagnosis like that, I was already doing that. During that time I felt opposite emotions. One was “well, at least you lived and had your ‘aha’ moment before you left this earth”, and the other feeling was “what was the point of it all if it has come down to this?”. Gloomy, I know.

I mean, where do I go from here?

However, after multiple surgeries, chemo, radiation, a little depression, running the Boston Marathon a year after going into remission, and a lot of time to myself to think, I resurfaced with the idea that instead of doing it all, I will give more time and effort to the things that set my soul on fire and truly feed me. The small but soulfully impactful things. By that time I was already traveling back and forth to Portugal, where I learned more about Portuguese wines, its beautiful landscape, welcoming people, and the feeling of saudade.

I seek out those things now, the things that matter. The things that leave me filled, open to beauty, desire, intense love, longing, nostalgia, and laughter in all of it. In travel and everyday life.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I look at social media as a space not just to share, but to receive. And not just from the people you are following, but from your own story and highlights. What I post and the engagement I receive feed me as well.

Often times we use these platforms to just spew things at our followers in exchange for a like, a follow, or a transaction. I find you can get all that and more back if, in the spewing, we also share something meaningful, helpful, or real. In this age of human disconnect, people will always come back to what’s real. They come back to what makes them feel something, even unintentionally.

In my posts and stories, especially on Instagram, in addition to laughter and the landscape, I try to share some of the things I mentioned above: soulfully impactful stories, love, and ideas that connect us.

Online, I talk like I talk. I laugh like I laugh. I try not to have a different voice online than I do in person. In every post, even if it is promotional, is a piece of me. Those who know me can pick out a post and know that I wrote that. If you meet me in person, you will quickly find that I am the same person I am online.

We still need something real to hang on to. We have to give what we want back.

We all know of people (and sometimes it’s us) who get tired and wary of social media. We become hesitant about showing up and consuming. It’s heavy. But I urge you, in that case, to focus less on consuming and more on creating. Make social media the space you want it to be. A place you want to come back to because it feeds your soul.

My advice would be to try and share something real. A word, a story, a feeling, or a photo or video that shows who you are and what you hold dear. Every single time. That is where true growth and engagement lie.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thesaudadelife.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesbarrett
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolebarrett
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesaudadelife
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesaudadelife