If you’ve been fully sold, and bought, on the idea of financial freedom, living abroad, and exploring other countries while also working remotely, then I’m with you.
The expat/digital nomad lifestyle is one that hooked me as soon as I’d heard about it starting back in 2013.
And for good reason.
Who doesn't want to make American money, spend hardly anything in a cheaper country, try new foods, meet new people, pay off debt while living abroad, and not be tied to a particular location (if you don’t want to be)?
The thing is, the easiest first step is usually English teaching. But for me, this was a dream job that ended up leaving me feeling unstable and unable to make the necessary ends meet.
But let's start with how I got there, to begin with.
How I ended up as a digital nomad
Back in 2012, I’d had a religious conversion. This experience led me to a particular group of people who were very strict in their beliefs to the point of legalism. What they pushed heavily was going to study at their bible school in Israel and staying to volunteer.
So I saved my money and with the help (and companionship) of my mother, I went to study for a month in a small commune on the Sea of Galilee. The experience was amazing, but to be honest because of a relationship with an ex-boyfriend I had decided not to stay the extra 6 months to volunteer.
But low and behold.
Out of all of the people at the school who put in applications to volunteer, mine was the first to come back approved.
I took it as a sign that I needed to stay and volunteer. (Glad I did because it changed my life forever, and that relationship was nothing I needed to ever run back to).
After 6 months of volunteering in Israel, I fell ill with mysterious symptoms and became gluten intolerant, and instead of extending my volunteering 6 more months, I went home to the US in June 2013.
After rest and recuperation, although still mysteriously ill, in 2014 I went back to the same bible school and volunteer program. This time, I stayed the full year.
After that year was up I was ready to go to another country and not return to the US. I really wanted China, but some friends I lived with at the time told me Americans could stay 1 year visa-free in the country of Georgia.
After much research and even more YouTube videos me, my mom and some friends arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia New Year's Eve 2015.
Because of the 1 year visa-free scheme, I stayed until October 2020 in Borjomi, Georgia. I went in and out as I visited Israel, Germany, and family in the US.
Mid-pandemic me and some friends moved to Albania which also allows Americans to stay 1 year visa-free.
My working nomad, English teacher life
How English teaching plays into my life is woven throughout the previous story. After returning home, ill, from Israel in 2013 I got a temporary job. When the position ended I searched on Craigslist and found an ad for native English speakers needed to talk to Korean students.
The job was essentially using an internet phone to talk to Korean students and hold 10 or 20-minute classes.
Which let me be clear was an absolute feat for me.
Talking to strangers for 10 minutes was a literal career hurdle (but one that prepared me to do a lot more as an English teacher).
This job could also be taken to any country with an internet connection.
It was the first time I’d heard such a thing but as I was planning on going to Israel the 2nd time, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
But why did it cause me instability?
In short, the strictness of the regulations when it came to teaching. In Borjomi, sometimes the electricity went out, sometimes the internet went out and all you had to do was wait. After 2 times of missing classes, the company in Korea decided that was it.
It's understandable, but it makes you very insecure whenever the internet is slow or the lights flicker. It's easy to get very anxious when working because if the internet goes off, you're job and livelihood do too.
I found work with Chinese companies, Japanese companies, random students in my little town, online as a freelancer on Upwork, a company in Spain, and I worked the longest for a Russian company.
But even with all of those students and all of the searching, sometimes I’d have students, sometimes not. If they don’t show you don't get paid.
If you wanted a better-paying job with a Chinese company you need a degree (I only had a TESOL certificate, IYKYK).
The Spanish company proved the most reliable, best paying, and greatest opportunity for advancement as I was grading essays, hosting 4-5 adult speaking classes, and even involved in curriculum development.
Overall with the rent I was being charged (higher because I’m American) the things I needed, even necessities paired with health issues, on top of not knowing if I was going to have enough students, have internet that was reliable, or lose my job, the career left me feeling insecure
And this is when I decided to strike out on my own and start my own company.
How I improved my income and leveled up in life
In April/May 2018 I discovered the side hustle school podcast. It got me inspired to start my own English teaching business specializing in speaking practice.
I called it XLYourEnglish. With little to no, mostly no, money I had a logo made, created a website, and did whatever I could for free to advertise it.
I found new and unique ideas for content, videos, and outreach, and marketing came easily to me. I posted flyers, created posts, and even reached out to schools and businesses to give their students English-speaking practice.
But overall, no bites.
Looking back I do believe there is a lot more I could have done, but money was needed as well.
But it did lead me to my present career.
Tired, feeling unstable, and ill I returned to the US from Albania, in mid-pandemic June 2021.
I was so excited to have a stable desk job, a warm bed surrounded by my family, a car, and money in my pocket.
I wanted to live again in Georgia, the country I fell in love with but knew that I had to find a career and build up some savings before I went. I wanted to be in a position to thrive in the country I loved, not to struggle.
But what career?
I had no degree.
During the pandemic, everyone was working from home, for jobs with little qualifications such as customer service or virtual assistance, so they were highly competitive.
That's when I began to research certifications that lead to high-paying jobs. I don't believe I came across it in my research but was rather targeted with an ad.
The UW-Madison 10-Month Digital Marketing Specialist certification.
I got the info packet and read through every topic it covered and every single one was something I had learned a bit about through starting or trying to start, my own business.
The marketing skills and ideas was something that came naturally to me and I didn't even know it.
Blogging, social media marketing, paid ads, website design, SEO, and more - were all things I had taught myself and found myself telling others about how to do regularly.
So in 10 months of study, I gained an in-demand career field that I’d already had experience in, could do online, could pay off as I go, and was tailored to working adults.
Before the final month was out I searched online for a job, and began work with my present company.
While I wanted to return to Georgia I wrote it off once I got the job because it was in the office, but after a few months of working there, I asked if I could work overseas.
With a compromise of 3 months overseas and 1 month in the US, they agreed.
In August of 2023, I moved back to Tbilisi Georgia, where I had a boyfriend, a company I liked, and could do tasks such as blog writing, SEO, and social media which I loved.
Also because of all of the things I’d learned in the meantime about being an expat, I could use the decrease in expenses to pay off the loan I took to do the program, plus save as well as work on starting a business.
I also really became interested in investing, real estate, and Bitcoin and now work with the goal of investing in all of those.
If you're in the same boat
To anyone looking for how to find what they want to do in life or a new career, chances are there is already something you know you want to do, you just feel like there's no way you can do it.
If you genuinely don't know what you want to do, then you need to live a little. Try a new temp job, visit a different city or country, or do some research on certifications that may lead to you to improve your income.
This is why I created Opportunity Everywhere and wrote my ebook about digital nomad business opportunities. It's possible to live abroad, improve your income by making more money, decrease your expenses as an expat, and to do the work you love whether a business or working with a company you like.
I can now get the life I want, which seems impossible to me as a single person in America.
I hope you take the steps that lead you to the life you want. And even when it's failing, come home, take a break, reassess, and try something different.
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