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gl Nicole Brewer’s financial situationyou may not be eager to trade wages. The 43-year-old Detroit native teaches English every year at a university in an ancient city in Oman, Nizwa, about $40,000 a year. As a freelance writer and travel agency, combined with busy income, the total revenue in 2024 is $44,000.
But, dig deeper into her lifestyle and you may start to envy her. Brewer pays only $650 a month, a furnished two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment just a five-minute walk from her job. Including utilities.
Like her college students, she will be winter and summer. Because of her lower cost of living, Brewer usually spends them on travel, including holidays in Namibia, Seychelles and recently Bali.
Brewer has lived and taught abroad since 2009 – during the global financial crisis, she has made scarce moves. Her advice to those who are considering following their footsteps: “Follow your heart, follow your passion, be sure to do research.”
Ignore external sounds
The decision to move abroad was a big decision, and Brewer admitted that life as an expatriate was not always easy.
“It’s definitely not without challenges. I would say it’s not easy to live in the other side of the world before your family, especially when emergencies and family situations arise.” “You have to bring the good to the bad.”
She is also not immune to cultural shocks – especially when she moved to the Middle East as a non-Muslim and non-Arabic speaker. However, none of this prevented her from pursuing the life she wanted.
“If anyone wants to live a foreign life, I’d definitely say don’t let fear or the sounds outside stop your dreams,” Brewer said. “If I want to hear people move to the Middle East – people are like, ‘Oh, that’s too dangerous.’ Here, I’m living my best life in Oman, one of the safest countries in the world.”
Conduct research in advance
Brewer did not expect people throughout her life to understand that Aman would be a safe, reliable option for her because they did not conduct their research level.
Brewer lived in South Korea for three years before arriving in Oman, the first step after her life left the United States. In advance, she studied ESL teaching programs that not only could be paid to her, but could also help her adapt.
In addition, she used social media to find others to live her own lives.
“On Facebook, there are ‘Sichelles and different social groups in Korea who are already there or are considering moving to different countries,” she said. “I did take advantage of social media and contact people and asked questions about teaching English in other countries.”
Brewer said that for anyone who has done so, who has taken into account life abroad, the most valuable resource.
“Entertaining with people like me and other expats who live in unique places. We are here. We are on social media. We are online on different forums.” “We have easy access to your questions.”
For Brewer, helping others realize their dreams abroad feel like part of the responsibility of a happy, successful foreigner.
“I want to pay forward – people did it for me. So I’m absolutely willing to do it for others,” she said.
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