Nearly 10 years ago, at 50, you decided to move from New York City to Dubai. What took you to Dubai and what has the experience been for a midlife professional?
Moving from NYC to Dubai was one of the best decisions we ever made. My husband, Jerry, and I love to travel and had always thought it would be a terrific experience to live and work abroad. When one of the most prestigious retail groups in the Middle East offered me the chance to develop their first marketing department, we knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to embark on a very grand adventure. As a midlife professional, it was an extraordinary experience. I was able to be fully immersed in a completely different culture while also working for a renowned company that was more similar than different to the places I had worked in New York. I had the privilege of leading a team of executives from literally all the corners of the globe—not just the UAE but also New Zealand, India, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Ghana, England, Lebanon, and so many other places. Of course, there were moments of culture shock, but the transition from living in NYC to living in Dubai was actually not that difficult. Dubai is an amazing, one-of-a-kind place—it is truly a city of the future. The whole environment is young, optimistic, and pulsing with positive energy. I learned so much, met lifelong friends, and traveled to countries we may never have reached from Manhattan, like Oman, Georgia, and Uganda.
Now you are relocating again, 10 years later, to Lisbon, Portugal to work as “digital nomads.” Why Portugal? How long do you think you will stay there?
It was a tough decision to leave Dubai. But now that Jerry and I both work remotely for US-based companies, we started thinking about what our next move could be. We’d had such a positive, mind-expanding experience in Dubai, so why not try somewhere new? Europe has always been at the top top of our list of places we would love to live. When we discovered that Portugal, one of our favorite countries, offered non-EU citizens a digital nomad visa for remote workers, we decided to go for it. This move was far more challenging because it was all on us. When we moved to Dubai, the company I was working for arranged everything—from visas to movers to real estate brokers and even bank accounts. Fortunately, we found a terrific family-run business on the ground in Portugal to help us navigate the visa process. Overall, it took about seven months from initiating the paperwork in Dubai in September to getting our appointments at the Portuguese embassy in DC in December to receiving our visas and moving to Lisbon at the end of April. Now that we are here, it was all worthwhile. Lisbon is probably the polar opposite of Dubai. It’s one of the oldest cities in the world with a much slower pace than New York or Dubai, but it has such a rich history with welcoming people, incredible food, and off-the-charts beach towns. We are having so much fun exploring, traveling, and learning Portuguese (so hard!). We hope to be here for many years to come!
What is your advice to people who want to move to another country either for work or for a new lifestyle? What are a few pieces of wisdom that you would give to individuals or couples who want to make this reimagined leap?
- There’s no time like the present—if you have always dreamed of living in another country, make it happen instead of just wishing for it.
- Do your research—know what the rules are around visas, taxes, health insurance, and property ownership.
- Consider living where you have some kind of support system, even if it’s just a few friends or friends of friends.
- Flexibility is key—be prepared to change direction. Sometimes the first place is not THE place.
- Learn the language—don’t be that person who can’t at least have a chat with the locals at the café.
- Say yes to every new experience that comes your way.
