43-year-old American expat’s No 1. piece of advice for moving abroad

Take a glance at Nicole Brewer’s finances, and you might not be eager to trade salaries. The 43-year-old Detroit native makes about $40,000 a year teaching English at a university in Nizwa, an ancient city in Oman. Add in side hustle income as a freelance writer and travel agent, and the total for 2024 climbs to $44,000.

But delve deeper into the way she lives, and you might start to envy her. Brewer pays just $650 a month for a furnished two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that’s just a five-minute walk from her job. Utilities are included.

Like the students at her university, she gets winter and summer breaks. And thanks to her low cost of living, Brewer generally spends them traveling, including vacations in Namibia, Seychelles and most recently, Bali.

Brewer has lived and taught abroad since 2009 — a move she made when jobs became scarce back home during the global financial crisis. Her advice for those who are considering following in her footsteps: “Follow your heart, follow your passion and definitely do your research.”

The decision to move abroad is a big one, and Brewer acknowledges that living as an expat isn’t always easy.

“It’s definitely not without its challenges. I will say it’s not an easy life to be on the other side of the world from your family, especially when emergencies and family situations come up,” she says. “You have to take the good with the bad.”

She wasn’t immune to culture shock either — especially when she moved to a Middle Eastern country as a non-Muslim and non-Arabic speaker. But none of that kept her from pursuing the life that she wanted.

“If someone wanted to live the expat life, I would definitely say to not let fear or outside voices deter you from your dream,” Brewer says. “If I would have listened to people about moving to the Middle East — people were like, ‘Oh, it’s so dangerous.’ And here I am, living my best life in Oman, one of the safest countries in the world.”

Brewer didn’t expect the people in her life to understand that Oman would be a safe, fulfilling choice for her since they hadn’t conducted her level of research.

Before embarking for Oman, Brewer lived for three years in South Korea, her first move after leaving her life in the States. Beforehand, she’d researched ESL teaching programs that would not only pay her but help her get acclimated.

Plus, she’d used social media to find other people living the life she was after.

“On Facebook, there’s ‘Brothers and Sisters of South Korea’ and different social groups for expats who are already there or considering moving to different countries,” she says. “I really utilized social media and contacted people and asked questions about teaching English in other countries.”

For anyone considering living abroad, the people who are already doing it are the most valuable resource, Brewer says.

“Reach out to people like me and other expats who are living in unique places. We are out here. We are on social media. We’re on different forums online,” she says. “We’re easily accessible to answer your questions.”

For Brewer, helping others realize their dreams abroad feels like part of the responsibility of being a happy, successful expat.

“I want to pay it forward — people did that for me. So I’m definitely willing to do it for other people,” she says.

Want to earn some extra money on the side? Take CNBC’s new online course How to Start a Side Hustle to learn tips to get started and strategies for success from top side hustle experts. Sign up today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through April 1, 2025.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.