How I Afford to Live Abroad (Because Everybody Keeps Asking lol)

One of the questions I get the most, whether I’m out exploring or just minding my business posting online, is “how did you find a job to do this?” and I always laugh a little because it feels like people are expecting some secret travel plug or hidden job board that only a few people know about.

The truth is a lot more straightforward, and also a lot more uncomfortable for people who are not ready to hear it.

There are many ways people make living abroad work. Some people work remote jobs for companies based in the U.S. or other countries. Some people teach abroad, pick up contracts, or even house sit their way around the world. All of those are valid paths and honestly, if that works for you, go for it.

That just isn’t my path.

I pay for my life abroad through my business.

I’m a full-time content creator under Doctress Monica Nicole on YouTube, I’m a writer, and I own my own professional development school called Butterfly Effect School of Transformation. That school is not just something I threw together to make money, it’s something that is deeply tied to my purpose. I teach people how to align spiritually, work through past experiences, shift their subconscious patterns, build their own businesses, and actually sustain those businesses while being in community with other people who are doing the same work.

It’s one of the few things in my life that doesn’t feel like work in the traditional sense, even though it requires a lot from me behind the scenes.

I decided to create my own lane instead of waiting for someone to give me permission to live the life I wanted. That decision came with a learning curve, a lot of discipline, and moments where I had to figure things out in real time, but it also came with freedom that I could not have accessed any other way.

I love what I do, and I love helping other people build their own spaces, businesses, and communities because I know what it feels like to want more out of life and not see a clear path to get there.

Inside the school, there is a self-paced option where you can learn how to build a business from the ground up, connect more deeply with yourself, work through generational patterns, and even step into paths like becoming a death doula if that is aligned for you. It’s designed to be an all-in-one space where you are not just learning information, you are actually applying it and building something that supports your life.

If you want to check it out or enroll, you can go here: www.moenicole.com/best

Living abroad the way I do is not about having one perfect strategy that works for everyone. What I’ve learned is that the people who make this lifestyle sustainable are the ones who are willing to be flexible, experiment, and adjust without panicking every time something shifts.

There is no single formula for this.

There is only alignment, consistency, and the willingness to keep showing up even when things are not as clear as you would like them to be.

I genuinely believe that creating your own path gives you the most freedom, especially if you are someone who values autonomy and wants control over how you live, work, and move through the world. That being said, building something of your own is not a quick process. It takes time, consistency, and a level of discipline that most people underestimate when they first get started.

This lifestyle looks very aesthetic online, and parts of it really are beautiful, I’m not going to lie lol. Waking up in a new country, having the ability to structure your day how you want, and knowing that your income is tied to something you created does hit differently.

At the same time, it requires you to be responsible for yourself in a way that a traditional job does not. There is no one telling you when to clock in, no guaranteed paycheck hitting your account at the same time every two weeks, and no safety net outside of what you build.

That part matters.

If you are thinking about living abroad, the question is less about “what job can I get to do this” and more about “what kind of life do I want to build, and what structure will support that life long-term.”

For me, the answer was creating something of my own.

For you, it might look different.

The goal is not to copy someone else’s path, it’s to build one that actually fits you so you can sustain it without burning out or constantly feeling like you are trying to keep up with a version of life that was never designed for you in the first place.

And once you figure that part out, everything else starts to make a lot more sense.