Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Por onde quer que ela viaje, leva sempre um caderno para escrever memórias. - Wherever she travels, she always takes a notebook to write memories.

So quer here is part of a set expression, and you should learn onde quer que as a unit meaning wherever, rather than trying to interpret quer as wants.

Why is viaje in the subjunctive and not viaja?

Viaje is the 3rd person singular present subjunctive of viajar.

The expression onde quer que / por onde quer que introduces something unknown, indefinite, or hypothetical (no specific place is identified). This triggers the subjunctive in Portuguese.

Compare:

Quando ela viaja, leva um caderno.
When she travels, she takes a notebook.
→ viaja (indicative), because it’s a general fact.
Por onde quer que ela viaje, leva um caderno.
Wherever she travels, she takes a notebook.
→ viaje (subjunctive), because the exact place/route is not specified; it’s an open set of possibilities.

So the structure onde/por onde quer que + subjunctive is a common pattern.

Could you write this clause without the subjunctive, like Por onde quer que ela viaja?

No, that would sound ungrammatical to a native speaker.

With expressions of indefiniteness like onde quer que, Portuguese requires the subjunctive:

✅ Por onde quer que ela viaje
❌ Por onde quer que ela viaja

The indicative viaja would be used after expressions that talk about concrete, known situations, not an open set of possibilities introduced by quer que.

What is the difference between por onde quer que ela viaje and onde quer que ela viaje?

Both are possible and very close in meaning, but there is a nuance:

Onde quer que ela viaje
Focus on place: wherever she may travel / go.
Por onde quer que ela viaje
Adds a sense of path / route / way: along whichever route she travels.

In everyday use, the difference is often small and many speakers might alternate between them, but por onde naturally suggests the way / route more strongly than just onde.

Why is there a comma after viaje?

The sentence has two clauses:

Por onde quer que ela viaje – a dependent (subordinate) clause setting a condition or circumstance.
leva sempre um caderno para escrever memórias – the main clause.

In European Portuguese, it is standard to put a comma after an initial subordinate clause:

Por onde quer que ela viaje,
leva sempre um caderno para escrever memórias.

If the order were reversed, the comma would usually disappear:

Ela leva sempre um caderno para escrever memórias por onde quer que viaje.

Why is leva used and not something like traz or carrega?

Levar is the normal verb for to take (something with you) to another place.

levar um caderno = to take a notebook (with you)
trazer um caderno = to bring a notebook (here, to where the speaker is)

So:

Por onde quer que ela viaje, leva sempre um caderno
= Wherever she travels, she always takes a notebook (with her).

Carregar means to carry in the sense of physically holding/transporting something, often used in ways like:

carregar uma mala pesada = to carry a heavy suitcase
carregar o telemóvel = to charge the mobile phone (different meaning)

Here, leva is the natural, idiomatic choice.

Why is it leva sempre um caderno and not sempre leva um caderno?

Both word orders are possible, but the neutral, most common order in European Portuguese is:

(Subject) + (verb) + (adverb of frequency) + (object)

So:

ela leva sempre um caderno (neutral).

You can say ela sempre leva um caderno, but in European Portuguese this word order is:

less common than in Brazilian Portuguese,
often used for emphasis or in certain stylistic contexts.

In standard EP, leva sempre sounds more natural and is the default.

What does para escrever memórias express, exactly?

Para + infinitive in this context expresses purpose (what the notebook is for).

para = in order to / for the purpose of
escrever = to write
memórias = memories / memoirs

So para escrever memórias = in order to write memories / to write down memories.

This use of para + infinitive is the normal way to express to do X in the sense of purpose:

Levo um guarda-chuva para não me molhar.
I take an umbrella so I don’t get wet.
Ela leva um caderno para escrever memórias.
She takes a notebook to write memories.

Why is memórias plural? Could it be singular memória?

Here, memórias in the plural means recollections, experiences written down over time – something like entries or memoirs.

escrever memórias = to write down memories / to keep a record of what happens.

The singular memória is normally:

the faculty of memory (the mental ability),
or a single specific memory.

In this context, using the plural is the natural way to talk about multiple remembered experiences being written in the notebook. Using singular escrever memória would sound odd here.

Does memórias here mean personal “memoirs” (a book) or just “memories”?

Context decides, but in a sentence like this, the most natural interpretation is:

memórias = things she remembers / experiences she records.

It doesn’t necessarily mean a formal book of memoirs; it more likely refers to personal notes about what happens on her trips.

If you wanted to emphasize a more literary sense, context around the sentence would usually make that clear, or you might specify:

para escrever as suas memórias
to write her memoirs.

Could you say para escrever no caderno instead of para escrever memórias?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

leva sempre um caderno para escrever memórias
Focuses on what she writes: memories.
leva sempre um caderno para escrever no caderno
Is technically possible but sounds redundant and stylistically weak (literally: to write in the notebook).

A more natural variant with no caderno would be:

leva sempre um caderno para escrever nele
She always takes a notebook to write in it.

Still, para escrever memórias is more specific and idiomatic if you want to stress the content (memories).

Is there a simpler way to say the same idea in Portuguese?

Yes, there are several more straightforward options, though they may lose the wherever nuance or sound less elegant. For example:

Onde quer que vá, ela leva sempre um caderno para escrever memórias.
(uses vá from ir, a bit simpler verb than viajar, same pattern)
Ela viaja sempre com um caderno para escrever memórias.
She always travels with a notebook to write memories.
(You lose the explicit wherever, but it keeps the idea of habit.)
Ela leva sempre um caderno nas viagens para escrever memórias.
She always takes a notebook on trips to write memories.

The original sentence is a bit more literary or formal, especially with por onde quer que.