About Me
Hello. I'm Emily.
I have lived a dual identity my entire life. I am like a tree: 100% California-raised branches and leaves, with 100% Portuguese roots.
Six years ago, my husband walked into my office in San Francisco, California, and told me he had received a job offer from a company in Portugal. I burst into tears. It was not the reaction either of us expected. We had been talking about this opportunity for months, after I’d breezily agreed to the idea of an adventure abroad.
Faced with the reality of realizing a dream, I was terrified.
We took the leap at the peak of our careers. We were established, with a house and well-networked lives. We knew it was going to be disruptive. It could have been a big misadventure. But deep down, I knew I would regret a “no” more than a “yes,” even if it failed spectacularly.
Two months of cleaning out our house (aka, “The Great Purge”) gave me an opportunity to reflect on questions of home, of place, of identity, and of transitions.
I found myself in conversations with people who were also in life transitions. They were facing moves, graduations, career changes, and shifts in relationships. Some were in beginnings and others were in endings. Most were in between, in the liminal spaces.
We were asking, “Where do I belong? How might I curate the next chapter of my life with intention and creativity? How do I cultivate work and community aligned with my values?took
coaching
As an internationally accredited coach, I partner with clients to explore important questions of transition: How do life and identity continually unfold? How does the past empty into the present, and how can you be a better steward of your future?
hosting
As a child, I wanted to run a carnival. I mapped my entire back yard with ideas of rides and games, even the food stands and ticket booths. Those tendencies for creating spaces and hosting experiences others are hardwired in my DNA.
culinary journeys
I guide adventurous and curious travelers in backroads, off-the-beaten path culinary journeys in Portugal. If you want to explore Portuguese cuisine, culture, and history beyond the same tired social media hotspots, I can help you design a bespoke culinary experience.
my mission is to cultivate a sense of place from which to explore life's thresholds and transitions in an environment of hospitality and curiosity
This site is dedicated to my mother, Herminia. She taught me the blessing of hospitality, and the hard work of resilience.
I believe there are stories are everywhere — in our favorite foods, in a sound or song that transports us to a special moment, in a small token we keep on our desk. We are driven by our narratives more than we know. I help clients uncover those stories and use them as foundations for their next chapter. Here are some the ways I do that.
thresholds
Changes are external situations, but transitions are internal journeys. I partner with clients to learn how to recognize the signposts and how to cross the threshold.
spaces
Your personal space is more than somewhere to store your stuff and take a shower. See what inspires me about creating a sanctuary.
culinary
What better way to share stories than at the table? I love the history of food, and love to celebrate the people and places who make them.