What Six Months Abroad Taught Me About Building a Business

When I left the United States in September, I wasn’t chasing some glamorous “digital nomad” storyline, I was rebuilding my life.

I had just gotten divorced, I quit my teaching job, I packed up my world and boarded a plane because staying felt harder than leaving. I didn’t fully know who I was anymore, but I knew I needed space to figure it out.

So I gave myself distance. New countries. New routines. New perspectives. But what I didn’t realize at the time was that those six months abroad wouldn’t just change me personally, they would completely shape how I build my business. And honestly? I wouldn’t build it the same way without that season.

Portugal was my first stop in September. I arrived a little shell-shocked, heart cracked open, trying to pretend I was fine. And this is where I learned to slow down. Portugal doesn’t move in a rush. The cafes are slow, the walks are long, the ocean doesn’t care about your timeline. It forced me to sit with myself, to breathe, to stop gripping so tightly to what’s next.

That’s where I learned that rushing doesn’t equal progress.

When I eventually started my virtual assistant business, I didn’t want chaos. I wanted spaciousness. I wanted freedom. I wanted a business that allowed me to work from anywhere and still feel grounded. Slowness wasn’t laziness. It was clarity.

Then in October, I spent the month in Madrid, where I learned that I’m more capable than I ever thought. I was navigating the metro system without Google Maps, ordering in Spanish, and having strangers ask me for directions like I belonged there. That version of me would’ve shocked the woman who boarded that first flight in September.

Madrid reminded me that capability expands when you put yourself in uncomfortable rooms.

That lesson carried directly into business. When I started my virtual assistant business, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have everything mapped out. I just knew I wanted flexibility, ownership, and creative freedom. You don’t wait until you feel ready. You move and readiness catches up.

November was beautiful and hard all at once. It was here in Italy that I learned healing isn’t linear and that two things could exist at the same time. I could be grateful and grieving. Confident and unsure. Peaceful and emotional.

That lesson has shown up in business more times than I can count. You can feel proud of what you’re building and still want more. You can love your offer and realize it needs to evolve. And in February, after completing several projects for clients, I pivoted into focusing solely on creative design and branding work. Not because the VA work was wrong, but because I realized what felt most aligned.

Growth requires adjustment. Adjustment requires honesty.

From December through March, Kuala Lumpur became home. For the first time since leaving, I built a rhythm. Morning walks, work blocks, self-care, quiet evenings, stability. The routines I built here brought me peace, and that’s where I felt my nervous system finally exhale.

And that’s also where I began to understand something important about business: chaos is not a personality trait. Sustainable businesses are built on systems, clarity, and intention. The same way I built a routine for my life, I built structure into my business — refining my offers, improving my design process, elevating my client experience.

Freedom without structure feels unstable. Freedom with structure feels powerful.

And here’s the biggest thing six months abroad taught me: You are allowed to reinvent yourself. Every damn day if you want to.

The woman who left the U.S. in September needed escape. The woman coming back has clarity. She knows what she wants. She knows what she will and won’t tolerate. She knows she can rebuild from nothing if she has to.

Travel didn’t “fix” me, but it gave me the space to find myself again. To heal, to grow, to become proud of the woman I am becoming.

And that pride? It shows up in my business.

I don’t design from desperation, I design from alignment. I don’t build brands from panic, I build them from clarity.

Because I know what it feels like to start over.

If you’re in a season of rebuilding — in life or in business — here’s what I want you to take with you:

Slow down before you speed up.
Trust that you’re more capable than you think.
Allow growth to be messy.
And build something that supports your peace, not just your productivity.

Six months ago, I didn’t know what my life would look like. Now I’m building a creative design business that gives me flexibility, freedom, and purpose, and preparing to set roots in Portugal, the place that first held me when I needed it most.

You can rebuild.

You can pivot.

You can evolve.

And your business can evolve with you.

And I’ll be here cheering you on and supporting you every step of the way.