That night in Porto was more than just a nostalgic reunion. It was a catalyst.

Since that memorable trip of mine October last year, the WhatsApp group with my old university friends has been buzzing daily, bridging the thousands of kilometers between Macau and Portugal.

Over thirty years living in Macau since I returned in 2003, things here changed so much – or was it me changing so much – that the cultural gap between where I live and where I belong has never felt wider.

Next week, our Porto Connection will be re-ignited as my wife and I head to Luxembourg to meet our university friends once again.

Yes, a new reunion, but this time not in Portugal.

It’s perhaps a trip decades in the making. Back in 1995, when I first met my friends at the university in Porto, I listened to three of my classmates talk about their lives as Portuguese immigrants in Luxembourg.

I’d always felt some kind of bond to them. We shared the fact of being Portuguese born and raised abroad. Now, I’m finally going to see the streets and landscapes that shaped them.

But there is a deeper layer to this excitement.

Reconnecting with my old friends in Porto last year made me realize how much I identify myself with them. Not just in shared memories, but in our outlook on life, the way we see things.

Lately, living in Macau has felt increasingly isolating. While my wife and myself we both appreciate the comfort of our city, the good things it has to offer, the opportunities to develop our careers and so on, we often feel culturally disconnected from the people around us.

There is a specific rhythm, a way of moving through the world, that we share with our Portuguese circle. And we just can’t find it here in our daily lives.

So going to Luxembourg isn’t just about tourism. It’s about surrounding ourselves with people who speak our internal language.

We are traveling to find that sense of home that isn’t tied to a specific coordinate on a map, but to the people who understand us.

Stay tuned. I have a feeling the light in Luxembourg is going to be something special to capture.

Wish us bon voyage!