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How I Built a Fulfilling Life in A Tiny Country Across the World
Sep 9, 2025
Nicole Brewer lives in a not so well known country across the world: Oman. She tells us how she built a fulfilling and peaceful life in a country she never heard of before she made the move. Connect with Nicole: IG @Nicole.iluv2globetrot Website: https://www.iluv2globetrot.com/ "The Other Route" celebrates people living life on the route less traveled, from living abroad to carving a unique lifestyle for themselves right here in the States. Subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any future videos! All content provided by Black Excellence Media, LLC is for entertainment purposes only. None of the information or advice provided is to replace professional advice. Website: https://blackexcellence.com
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0:00
What if I told you that freedom,
0:02
fulfillment, and financial ease are just
0:04
a plane ride away? From Acra to
0:06
Amsterdam to Bangkok, more and more
0:09
black Americans are making the decision
0:11
to ditch the grind and to find their joy
0:13
living abroad. There are over 5 million
0:16
Americans living outside of the US right
0:18
now. And guess what? A big slice of that
0:21
number is black Americans. Matter of
0:24
fact, online groups such as Blacks in
0:27
Portugal and Blacks It Tribe have
0:29
exploded in recent years with thousands
0:32
sharing how they've swapped stress for
0:34
serenity. From lower cost of living and
0:36
affordable healthcare to vibrant culture
0:39
and a sense of belonging. The Black
0:41
Expat Movement isn't just a vibe. It's a
0:44
global shift. Hi, I'm Mike Riley and I
0:47
want to welcome you to the very first
0:49
episode of The Other Route, a show where
0:51
we celebrate all the unique ways that
0:53
black people are tackling this thing we
0:55
call life. So, in today's episode, I'm
0:58
going to be chatting with Miss Nicole
0:59
Brewer. Nicole lives abroad in Misa,
1:03
Oman, where she works as an English
1:05
teacher. Now, if you're wondering where
1:07
the heck Oman is, you're not alone in
1:09
that. I had to go and look it up myself.
1:11
I have so many questions for Nicole.
1:13
What's it like for black people there?
1:15
Is there a black community out there?
1:16
What's the food like there? And what's
1:18
the process? How did you even get from
1:21
living here in the United States in
1:23
Detroit to all the way out there in the
1:25
Middle East? I got so many questions for
1:27
Nicole. So, with no further ado, let's
1:29
jump right into it.
1:29
Great. Yeah, thank you for having me.
1:31
First off, uh yes, so you know, I'm
1:33
Nicole Brew. I'm from Detroit, Michigan.
1:35
Um I attended the University of We can't
1:37
go blue. I moved straight to Chicago
1:38
after I graduated from undergrad and I
1:41
worked there for several years. So I
1:43
worked in market research for a few
1:45
different firms and in 2008 I was laid
1:49
off from my job. You know, that was like
1:51
the start of first recession. But when I
1:53
was on my job, you know, it was it was
1:56
tough because I was going through I'm
1:57
like, "Oh, I'm a graduate of Michigan.
1:58
I'm not going to have a problem finding
2:00
a new job." And sure enough, you know,
2:02
it was getting close to that time. My
2:03
unemployment was going to run out and I
2:04
was just like, "Okay, I got to figure
2:05
something out and the girl needs to get
2:07
a job. I'm flexible. I'll leave the
2:09
country if I have to." because I
2:11
actually had a couple girlfriends who
2:12
had taught in Japan. So I was inspired
2:15
by them when I saw that they did
2:17
actually went to visit them in Japan. So
2:19
after experience of going like Southeast
2:21
Asia visiting them them there you know I
2:25
was like oh let me just try for a job
2:27
abroad and that's how my first teaching
2:30
job abroad came about working in South
2:32
Korea for a few years and then from
2:34
Korea I went to Oman and just Oman
2:36
stuck. I never left. It's still there to
2:39
this day. That's NHS. That's
2:41
interesting. So that's how you got into
2:42
the expat life then was you were
2:45
inspired by some of your friends who
2:46
were actually going out there doing it
2:48
as well. That's what made you want to
2:49
kind of do it.
2:50
Yes, exactly. That was it when I saw
2:53
like this is cool. I always plan, you
2:55
know, the plan was to only do it for
2:57
like a year or two once the economy got
2:59
better, but I was loving it so much I
3:00
said I
3:01
Oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. What a way to do
3:04
it. What a way to do it. Next, how long
3:05
have you been doing this stuff?
3:07
Just over 15 years now. I'm going six.
3:08
Oh my god. I was going on 16 years. I
3:10
can't.
3:10
Well, 16 years. So, you've been living
3:12
abroad outside of the United States for
3:14
the last 16 years.
3:16
That's ins like saying it out loud like
3:19
it didn't even feel like my reality. But
3:20
yeah, I have
3:23
that is insane. Well, can you tell us a
3:25
little bit about the countries you lived
3:26
in before you actually moved to Oman?
3:28
Before you decided to settle there in
3:29
Omar?
3:30
Actually, when I first moved abroad, I I
3:32
lived in South Korea for about three and
3:34
a half years. Um, I was teaching there
3:37
and Korea was a good time. Like I I
3:39
still have good friends from my days
3:40
teaching in South Korea to this day.
3:42
Did you get a chance to go to North
3:43
Korea, friend? I'm just joking. But
3:46
I did go I did go to the DMZ. So I went
3:49
to the borders. I was let boy say, "Hey,
3:53
North Korea." But I I didn't need to go.
3:54
I didn't need to cross that border. No.
3:56
Oh my gosh. That is good. So you got a
3:58
chance to actually see that, witness
3:59
that with two eyes. That isn't sad.
4:02
Wasn't that crazy? So, what was it about
4:04
Oman that made you want to stay?
4:06
You know, it's funny you say that
4:07
because like I never like envisioned I
4:10
didn't even know where Oman was prior
4:11
to,
4:13
you know, the job placements.
4:15
You know what? Not to cut you off, but
4:17
but prior to us having this this
4:19
discussion. I had no idea where Oman was
4:20
either. I had to go and actually look it
4:22
up on a map. Yeah, it was crazy.
4:24
Funny because, you know, I was
4:25
considering I was looking at the Middle
4:27
East because I had always heard like the
4:28
money is good in in the Middle East.
4:30
This year I was looking at everybody
4:31
knows UAE but then this little country
4:33
right next door um a job ad popped up
4:36
for them and I was like let me check
4:37
them out. I came to Oman first in 2012.
4:40
I was here for a year from 2012 to 2013.
4:44
Then I had applied to go to graduate
4:45
school. So I actually left Oman for a
4:47
year. I went to Germany and I did like a
4:49
few months of an internship in South
4:51
Africa. I did a like an accelerated
4:52
masters program abroad. I went to in
4:56
South Africa then in 2014 I came back.
4:58
Yeah. So that's how you know so I do
4:59
have a few countries under my belt. So
5:01
it was like South Korea was like the
5:02
first expat community I was in kind of
5:05
on my left to go to school and then
5:07
ended up coming back and just never left
5:09
again.
5:09
Did you travel a lot before you decided
5:11
to to enter this lifestyle this expat
5:14
lifestyle?
5:15
It's funny because I always say like
5:16
yeah you know my blog I love the glo so
5:18
that that is like my motto I'm a glow
5:20
charter but I really didn't get into
5:23
like international travel on in this
5:26
capacity until I moved abroad. I was
5:28
always intrigued like I I knew I enjoyed
5:30
like you know my my curiosity was peaked
5:33
because like my my eldest sister she
5:34
used to live in California you know I'm
5:36
from Detroit so grew up as summers like
5:39
she she got married right so she moved
5:41
to California um the San Francisco Bay
5:44
area and so in the summers as as like a
5:46
pre-teen like you know 11 12 13 like I
5:48
started visiting her in the summers and
5:50
just like you know getting on a plane by
5:52
myself you know shipping me off you know
5:54
I go visit my sister in the summer so
5:56
like I always had that like independent
5:57
like oh I'm I'm interested in this
5:59
travel business. You know I started off
6:01
rolling with it just you know going
6:03
across the country and then you know
6:06
spring break with friends and Jamaica
6:08
you know Caribbean but international
6:10
travel but happened until I decided to
6:12
to move abroad. So yeah.
6:14
So how was it like getting adjusted to
6:16
the expat like in the beginning? It's
6:18
definitely
6:20
I I w I I like to tell people that it's
6:23
not for everyone, right? So like for me,
6:25
I do feel like you have to be
6:29
um I don't know, you have to be flexible
6:32
because you're going to be entered into
6:35
a culture that's different from your
6:36
own. you know, like South Korea, I will
6:40
say when I first went there, it was a
6:42
lot of like adjustment because like
6:44
being like an African-American, it was
6:46
just like, you know, and I'm not a, you
6:47
know, I'm 5 foot 10, I'm a tall black
6:49
woman, so like I used to like the kids
6:51
walk her like, whoa, whoa. You know,
6:53
like they'll see her, they're just like
6:54
they're
6:56
reaction. I'm just like, what? Like
6:57
they, you know, I might be the first
6:58
black person ever saw a person. So it
7:00
was like that culture, you know, shock
7:02
of just like But then also on the flip
7:05
side, you would have parents who would
7:07
literally like, oh, you know, they'll
7:09
hear your accent. Oh, she's American.
7:10
And they would literally push your kids
7:11
in your direction and go talk to you cuz
7:13
they're like, oh, he's not English,
7:14
right? So it was like you would have
7:16
both extremes. And for me, I was just
7:18
like, h, you know, I I just kind of roll
7:20
with the punches. And on the flip side,
7:21
coming to Oman, it was different because
7:23
it's like it's a different type of
7:24
culture because it's a Muslim culture.
7:26
But you know like half like half of them
7:28
are like just as dark as me like African
7:30
Oman like Tanzy Tanzan Tanzanian Omani.
7:33
So like they'll see them like oh sister
7:35
like hello sister you know like you know
7:36
they call you sister.
7:38
Are so are there other are there a lot
7:40
of like African black people? Black
7:43
people from that look like us. Are there
7:45
a lot of them there?
7:48
Surprise. Like I don't know about a lot
7:50
but I mean I mean like the locals like
7:53
there are like African Omanis you know
7:55
so just like you know they're
7:58
and then like there are other African
7:59
like expat workers from like you know
8:01
Africa you know a South African you come
8:03
across but I wouldn't say as many um
8:06
what about African-Americans?
8:09
Yeah, it we're a dabble here and there.
8:11
Like, you know, I do have some, you
8:13
know, African-American friends. Now, I
8:15
live in Nisle, so I'm in a smaller town
8:17
like in Muscott. You do come across like
8:19
more expats of there just because it's a
8:21
bigger city. Yeah, I have a few like the
8:24
brothers my like Facebook group and
8:26
WhatsApp group. So, we we try we try to
8:28
get our little meetups and get get
8:30
togethers and stuff like that. How long
8:31
do you think it took you to really kind
8:33
of fit in and adjust and get yourself
8:35
all ready to kind of to pretty much
8:37
adapted to that lifestyle?
8:39
Say for me, I feel like I was really
8:40
just kind I kind of roll with the
8:42
punches quite early. Like I will say
8:44
like for the average person like I would
8:46
say that first year of like just getting
8:49
your footing and your bearing. Like I I
8:51
know some people didn't even make it to
8:53
the first year. We called them runners
8:54
like people they they would they would
8:56
end those contracts early. They be like
8:57
this this this is not you. So it's like,
9:00
you know, man, if you complete that
9:02
first year of that contract, you're
9:04
doing really good. You know what I mean?
9:06
Like I will say it was an adjustment
9:07
period just trying to get your footing
9:10
in like a different country, a different
9:12
location. So
9:13
what's the lifestyle there in Oman? And
9:15
how would you compare it to the
9:16
lifestyle here in United States?
9:19
Yeah, it's definitely different because
9:20
like here, you know, it is it's a Muslim
9:23
country. So it's like you know I do have
9:25
some expat friends who are you know like
9:28
study who are Muslims. So it was just
9:30
like for them it was like hey you know
9:32
they they were already used to you know
9:33
the caller pray like well actually I'll
9:35
take that back like if you were an a
9:37
Muslim living in the states there were
9:40
certain challen you had to deal with
9:41
here. I feel like for them it was easier
9:43
for them to incorporate into the culture
9:45
because they were already you know used
9:47
to
9:47
Right. Exactly. pause and things like
9:50
that, but they are able to adjust easier
9:52
because like this country like for
9:54
example like I don't eat pork anyway
9:58
like I I gave up I gave up um that a
10:00
long time ago. So coming here I was like
10:02
oh it's so big but you know some of my
10:03
some like not even black people just
10:05
like some of my my Polish girlfriends
10:07
she just like I can't wait to go home
10:08
this summer eat all the poor you know
10:10
and just like certain wild little kings
10:12
they they they're just like they're
10:13
ready they're like I can't go back. They
10:15
have the call of prayer like five times
10:17
a day. So like the first one is like 5
10:19
something in the morning and the next
10:20
one is like I don't know the timing
10:21
exactly but like five times a day all of
10:24
the mosque you will hear like you know
10:26
they will do the call of prayer you know
10:28
and I would just it's beautiful to me
10:31
like I like I if I'm out like I would
10:33
just like listen to it even though I'm
10:34
not Muslim like I appreciate you know
10:36
that's so interesting just to kind of
10:38
speak about the the religious aspect of
10:41
it. uh do you find yourself being
10:43
ingrained in that in any in any type of
10:46
way? Cuz we I understand being you know
10:47
in a Muslim majority country. I visited
10:50
uh Istan before in Turkey and that's
10:52
also a Muslim country. Um but uh you
10:54
know there's not a lot of like you know
10:56
strict adherence to being a religious
10:58
person there. Do you find that there in
11:00
Omaha? Yeah. Do you feel like they're
11:02
like oh you have to kind of cover your
11:04
head and and do the whole uh you know
11:06
kind of follow some of the the the
11:08
customs that they have there? Well, you
11:11
know, luckily for like, you know,
11:12
because I am I'm not Muslim, like I can
11:16
as long as you respect the culture in a
11:18
sense of like, you know, like I live in
11:20
Islam, it's it's a more conservative
11:21
city than like say even Muskot like you
11:23
know, I make sure if I'm going to a
11:25
certain like when I go grocery shopping,
11:27
I'm not going to put on shorts that are
11:28
like above my knees, you know, because
11:30
like you can't you there are signs at
11:33
the mall, for example, it's just like,
11:35
you know, you have a tank top on, if you
11:36
have like spaghetti. No, they're going
11:38
to turn your way. No, like they they're
11:39
they're serious about like respect our
11:41
culture. If I'm not a Muslim, I don't
11:43
have to cover my hair. Like no, Saudi a
11:45
different, you know, that's a different
11:46
monster. Like they they are like cover
11:47
your hair even if you're and like here
11:50
it's they're flexible when it comes to
11:52
that cuz they're like, "Oh, if you're
11:53
not Muslim, you don't have to do that."
11:54
But when it comes to like normal casual
11:56
dress, then they do expect you to like
11:58
cover like they don't see short, you
12:00
know? And so like you know and since
12:03
it's becoming more tourist friendly like
12:05
every so often when I'm out I will see
12:07
like a traveler you know and like
12:10
usually other like not us but usually
12:12
other but you see them like in little
12:14
shorts and I'm just looking like girl
12:16
where where do you think you are like
12:17
you know so I come more so you know
12:20
follow follow the rules you know this is
12:22
Oman there's more conservative than like
12:24
say Dubai you can get away with that
12:25
stuff you can go to the mall there and
12:26
you'll see any and everything. Oman is
12:29
not that lenient when it comes to that
12:32
that that so
12:34
what would you say is the the hardest
12:36
thing to get used to living in Oman cuz
12:40
obviously some people would adjust to
12:42
not a worker to not being shorts uh or
12:46
whatever else the case may be um you
12:49
know I don't think I don't think I'd
12:50
have any too too many problems with that
12:52
personally but what what would you say
12:53
for you was the hardest uh part of thing
12:56
to get used to about living in Oman Oman
12:58
in a place like Oman.
12:59
Uh I will say probably one one of the
13:02
biggest struggles being expat woman
13:04
would um definitely be dating. Oh
13:06
there's challenges in that capacity.
13:07
Like I've I've learned lessons from my
13:09
first year of being here that I said I
13:11
wouldn't I did do I'm like I'm not going
13:13
to do it again. You know what I mean? So
13:15
it's just like that's always an
13:17
adjustment but I feel like honestly
13:19
where wherever you live dating is
13:20
trying.
13:22
Is there like a dating scene out there?
13:23
Is there like dating apps? Do people
13:25
have is there a night life? Is there
13:27
things that people can do to meet other
13:29
people out there? Uh, is that like a
13:32
thing out there?
13:33
Why do you say that? Because like there
13:35
is a night life like not not necessarily
13:36
in my town. I mean, this was a smaller
13:38
city, so it's just like you go to the
13:40
the to the hotel bar, you can you can,
13:42
you know, you can have a drink there,
13:43
but for the most part, like it's not
13:45
clubs in in in my town, but in Musk,
13:47
yeah, there there is a night life there.
13:49
Like there are social events you can go
13:50
to. And like I know like even like me
13:53
and my my ex-boyfriend like we actually
13:54
met each other at a networking event. I
13:56
don't know if you heard of the there's
13:57
an app called Innations. So, it was just
13:59
like this. Yeah. So, it's a app called
14:01
Inter Nations and it's not a dating app.
14:03
That's just actually like for social
14:04
networking things like that. But, of
14:06
course, it's like this is a way to get,
14:09
you know, in the expat community and
14:10
then see who else is here. So, that's
14:12
actually my ex-boyfriend um networking.
14:16
You know, the apps do exist. Like I
14:18
don't know about local like I don't know
14:19
like because I honestly date they not a
14:21
real dating culture for locals here but
14:23
you know expats like we we we had like
14:25
there's um oh goodness I just had a
14:28
brave heart for some reason but you know
14:31
like like the normal dating app that you
14:32
have back home they have them here too
14:34
like
14:34
so so there is a way to socialize and
14:36
meet other people you know there's a way
14:37
to do it but just like everywhere else
14:39
in the world I'm sure it's a I'm sure
14:40
it's a it's a feat right now it's kind
14:43
of tough so uh yeah you're like like
14:45
like you were mentioning So um let me
14:48
ask you this. So out there you have
14:51
become a teacher right? So what do you
14:52
teach out there in Oan?
14:54
English. I'm an English teacher. Yes.
14:56
You so you teach English. Uh let me ask
14:58
you about that type of culture
15:00
adjustment as far as the language is
15:02
concerned. Did you have to learn the new
15:04
language in order to teach English? How
15:06
and was it difficult if you did?
15:09
Actually I did not. It's funny because
15:11
like even to I've been here a long time
15:12
like I know a few Arabic phrases just to
15:15
get me by and even my students like I
15:17
say certain days at the end of the class
15:19
like oh class is over like they don't
15:20
know when I say something in Arabic
15:21
they're like oh you know kalas time time
15:23
to finish the class you know few like
15:26
phrases that I but like full on
15:28
conversational Arabic I never like my I
15:32
told I would study the language but then
15:34
I life just be life you know I have like
15:37
11 jobs you're like a travel influencer
15:39
and a writer writer and a blogger. So I
15:41
have so many other things going on. It
15:42
was just like I don't want to study
15:45
back. So just like luckily it's it's
15:49
easy to get around without without
15:50
English. I mean sorry without Arabic so
15:52
because everybody speaks English they've
15:53
been studying it for years. So and I
15:55
teach these students so by the time they
15:57
get to the university level like they
15:58
have a basic understanding of English.
16:00
Okay. Okay. So yeah. So you're not just
16:02
teaching them straight ground level
16:04
English. No. Okay. Excellent. What about
16:07
the written language? Is it easy to to
16:09
understand and read Arabic?
16:12
No. That see that's the big that's the
16:15
main reason that it was such a struggle
16:18
for me to like even think like wrap my
16:19
head around trying to study because like
16:22
you know it's like the squiggly lines
16:24
and then they read from like instead of
16:25
writing right to left like I I think
16:28
about I was just like you guys like
16:30
being able to learn English it's
16:31
impressive cuz like your language is
16:33
totally opposite than ours. I can still
16:36
read like if I like you know if you go
16:38
to one of the international stores here
16:40
like we have Korean products like I can
16:42
still read K I picked that up in like
16:44
months that if that language like the
16:47
block letters like it was just so much
16:48
easier to learn and and I still remember
16:51
like most of it like I might be able to
16:53
read it and I know what it actually says
16:54
but I you know what it means but I can I
16:56
can understand the letters here at Airb.
16:59
I'm like oh that that that's a mother.
17:01
Now you mentioned that when you were
17:03
there you were teaching, you're doing
17:04
travel blogs, you're doing all these
17:06
other things. I imagine that you're
17:07
doing all those things to kind of
17:08
supplement your income. Uh let me ask
17:11
out the affordability of living abroad.
17:13
How affordable is it to live abroad and
17:15
es in a place like Oman? Uh how would
17:18
and especially would you how would you
17:19
compare it to the current living
17:21
expenses here in the United States? As
17:23
you know, we're having our world famous
17:24
trade wars right now. You know, it's
17:26
interesting because like since I live in
17:28
a I I will say I'm fortunate because I
17:30
live in Nisla, so it's like a smaller I
17:33
want to say it's it's probably like the
17:34
second or third largest city in the
17:36
country, but still in comparison to
17:37
Muskot like the cost of living is lower
17:41
where I live compared to if I lived in
17:43
like the major city. I I have a two like
17:46
a twobedroom, two bath apartment that
17:48
I'm living in. It's fully furnished and
17:50
I'm only paying $650 a month in rent.
17:53
like that part when my my other
17:55
interview went went live like some
17:56
people just like oh that's expensive and
17:58
I'm just like really like what are you
17:59
talking about like compared because they
18:00
don't you know living abroad like
18:02
compared to Thailand or B you know the
18:04
$300 or $400 I was like $650 for two
18:06
bedroom part is not bad compared to the
18:09
back home I was like my family they live
18:10
in Atlanta I was like I might even get a
18:12
studio for that.
18:13
No he couldn't get a cardboard box.
18:16
Yeah. So, so and then the rest of the
18:18
cost of living is it is, you know, as
18:20
far as expenses, food and all these
18:22
other things, all of that stuff as I'm
18:24
imagining is pretty affordable.
18:26
Exactly. I mean I just want to say I do
18:28
quite well all things considered like I
18:30
you know I will say like compared to
18:31
other countries in the GCC like Oman
18:35
um I I do okay but but because um like
18:39
for example Dubai or even Dohan that's
18:42
her like they they make more money than
18:44
where but I was like but I have more
18:45
peace of mind like I I just love where I
18:47
live because it's peaceful. Omanis are
18:49
so laidback so it's just like you know I
18:51
do okay.
18:52
As far as the people you said the people
18:54
are laidback, they're chill. They're
18:55
very cool. How are what how do people
18:58
treat black people there uh in Oman and
19:01
and what are the feelings towards black
19:03
Americans or just Americans in general
19:05
in that country?
19:07
Oh yeah. They you know honestly when
19:08
they when they you know it's funny
19:10
especially now like in my brains like
19:11
for example like I don't drive here so I
19:13
I'll take a taxi in a heartbeat and so
19:15
like when I get in a taxi a lot of them
19:17
know me because I've been here for so
19:18
long but you know but say so for one of
19:21
them don't know me and then they see me
19:22
they're like sister like you know the
19:24
first time where are you from and then
19:25
I'm like you American like I know you
19:26
know so say USA I said like how
19:29
pronounced in the air like oh USA so
19:31
like their whole demeanor be like oh
19:33
interesting like you're from USA cuz
19:35
like especially when I have my brazer
19:36
like Oh, they the first thing they think
19:38
I'm I'm um either tanzi, they may or
19:40
they may think I'm like South African.
19:42
So like when they see I'm American,
19:44
they're just like, "Oh, interesting."
19:45
You know, like, "Yeah, good USA. Good."
19:47
Then they start asking me like how I
19:48
like Oman. When I tell them I love this
19:50
country, they're just like, "Oh, very
19:52
good." You know, so it it's so
19:54
interesting because like, you know, I've
19:55
been here for so so long. So I remember
19:56
when Obama was president, like if I was
19:58
say, you know, America American, they're
20:00
like, "Oh, Obama." Like that's the first
20:02
thing that they get excited like, "Oh,
20:03
that's you know, like they yes, we love
20:05
Obama." And now that you know the other
20:07
man is back in office but to Trump it
20:09
just you know like is he you know like
20:12
the reflection just like and I and I
20:14
just kind of joking like yeah I'm happy
20:15
to be on my
20:18
little that banter. But for the most
20:21
part you know there's a a good level of
20:23
respect that if I tell them I'm a
20:24
teacher they're like oh you know a
20:26
teacher that very good very good. So
20:28
that they respect the fact that I'm here
20:29
because I'm working with their their
20:31
kids. You know what I mean? I will say I
20:33
don't feel any racial tension as a black
20:37
American woman. Like I will say, you
20:39
know, I I'm I'm I'll keep it, you know,
20:40
real. Like I always like I like to let
20:43
them know that I'm American because like
20:45
I always wonder like I know my
20:46
experience might be different if I were
20:48
like African. Like if if I did say, you
20:50
know, I'm from South Africa or like I
20:52
know you stories, you know, so just it's
20:54
not a country. I I like to tell people I
20:57
feel like in this region in particular
21:00
there's more of an issue with classism
21:02
and racism. It's just like, you know,
21:04
they hear you're American, they're like,
21:06
"Oh, they they they think like, oh,
21:07
America, you know, oh my, like, you
21:08
know, same same." But then like if you
21:10
know, you say you're from like a certain
21:12
African country, they're just I I do
21:14
feel like there there's a level of just
21:15
like,
21:17
you know, so uh when when it comes to So
21:21
I I I will say I have privilege. I I I
21:23
I'll admit it. Like being an
21:24
African-American woman living in the
21:26
GCC, there are certain privileges that I
21:28
have.
21:28
So So there's American privilege, not so
21:30
much white privilege, but there's
21:32
American privilege. Okay, that's Yeah.
21:35
Okay, baby. That that might make people
21:38
feel a little more confident uh about
21:40
becoming expats just hearing that. So,
21:42
you've traveled all over the world, been
21:44
around the world, and I you know, one of
21:46
my favorite songs. Uh let me ask you
21:49
this now.
21:52
Obviously, you love traveling.
21:54
Obviously, you you gotten bitten by the
21:56
travel, bud. Do you ever plan on
21:58
returning back to the United States and
21:59
living here? You are you permanent expat
22:01
or just a temporary expat?
22:04
I know. I know. And then it's so funny
22:06
you said it because it's just like
22:07
people are like, "Oh, you're not expat.
22:09
We're never coming back. You're an
22:09
immigrant. Hey, you're just moving it."
22:11
I feel like eventually we'll take on
22:13
that label. Oh, no. It's like I I I do I
22:17
do love this life. Like I honestly I I
22:20
see myself staying abroad for as as long
22:22
as a quick creator have allow allow me
22:25
to you know not bring it on mine for
22:28
ever but like I was saying before like
22:30
Portugal is like my dream destination to
22:31
go to next. But I like to tell people
22:33
I'm flexible. I'm open to opportunity.
22:35
So like if the right opportunity opens
22:36
itself up in like parts of Africa like
22:38
Ghana was on my list. South Africa like
22:40
I there's just so much world to see.
22:42
Yeah. Yeah. Do you miss
22:44
living in the United States? I miss the
22:47
people more so than I miss living there.
22:50
So like, you know, I I like to I'm I'm
22:52
open like I'm honestly like I don't know
22:54
what the future holds. Like I may may
22:56
need to come back to the States. You
22:57
know, I may get older and I'm just like,
22:58
oh, you know, had good healthcare back,
23:00
you know, back. So like I don't know.
23:02
But in my my future goal, my plan is to
23:06
retire abroad because I do feel like
23:07
it'll be cheaper, too.
23:08
So what's been your your overall review
23:10
of your life on the other route? Uh,
23:13
have you found it to be challenging,
23:15
fulfilling? How would you describe it?
23:17
Oh my goodness. I would I would just say
23:18
life is good. Like honestly,
23:21
one of the things that I like to tell
23:23
people who are considering becoming an
23:26
expat, like obviously I've done it for
23:29
over 15 years now. So obviously I enjoy
23:31
it and I'm always an advocate. Like I
23:33
like to tell people I'm like the US is
23:35
not going anywhere. States isn't going
23:36
anywhere. Like I can always go back home
23:39
or thank that that's home. I'm not
23:41
giving up that blue passport. I, you
23:43
know, I'm not I'm not I'm not giving it
23:44
up. I'm not walking away from it. So,
23:45
like I can always go back, but you never
23:48
know unless you try. It's just like I
23:50
never would have known that I could, you
23:53
know, travel all over the world and have
23:55
all these, you know, amazing experiences
23:57
and become a published author and like a
24:00
freelancer and be featured in
24:02
publications like global. Like, I never
24:05
even dreamed this life for myself. I
24:07
knew I love to travel, but like, you
24:09
know, honestly, I'm like literally
24:11
living like my ancestors wildest dreams,
24:12
like being able to see the things on
24:14
Earth. I'm so grateful for it. So, you
24:16
know, I just like to people go for it.
24:18
Like, you never know. Try. So, just show
24:21
them. Just go for it. All right. Just
24:22
just pick up those rains. And is that is
24:25
that kind of how your journey started?
24:26
You just kind of picked up and just
24:27
said, "Screw it. I'm going."
24:29
Yeah,
24:30
pretty much. Gosh, I had a whole I had a
24:32
condo. Like, I was, you know, I was
24:34
settled. I was in Chicago. I had my
24:36
condo. I packed it up and put things in
24:37
storage and was out. She just
24:40
never looked out.
24:42
But Nicole, thank you so much for taking
24:44
the time today to talk to us and to give
24:46
us the the scoop and let us know what
24:48
it's like to be an expat living in Oman.
24:50
Uh thank you for educating us on that
24:52
part of the world. Um and for any of you
24:54
out there who are interested in doing
24:56
this, uh you know, take a page out of
24:59
Nicole's book. Take, you know, and and
25:01
and just pick up and just go. That's
25:03
what I would say.
25:05
Please do. Thank you for having me.
25:08
Absolutely. Of course. Of course. Thank
25:09
you so much.
#Human Rights & Liberties