This 48-Year-Old US Woman Quit Teaching To Start a New Life In Mexico, Now She Works Just 15 Hours a Week and Makes $38,000 a Year

Adalia Aborisade, who worked as a primary school teacher for 20 years, left it all in the US to start a new life in New Mexico. Aborisade taught social studies, geography, and history in Texas public schools. She  worked 60 hours a week on her $60,000 job for years and felt burnt out. She set up her own business in New Mexico making less money but setting her schedules and working just 15 hours a week.

Aborisade had achieved several material markers of success, including a four-bedroom home and multiple cars but she wasn’t happy. “I had the house, the cars, the kids, I did all of that, but even achieving those things, it still seemed like it wasn’t enough,” she told CNBC Make It.

When she got divorced around the time she turned 40, she realized she wasn’t happy in her life so she decided to make a change.

The Switch

Aborisade said that her old job was too stressful and the workload was too much for her to have a life outside of work. Thus she knew she needed to make a change in her life. Around the time she was beginning to feel more and more burnt out, she noticed that she would soon be finished paying off her car and the lease for her home. It was an ideal time to finally look into living abroad, something she had always wanted to do.

Aborisade’s journey to look for a new life started in 2016 when she landed a two-year contract as a technology integration director at a school in Honduras. She left the school in 2017 and subsequently planned a visit Mexico City to see if it was a good fit for her.

She immediately fell in love with the place, its weather, and the general atmosphere. “Once I got here and fell in love with the place, I said, ‘OK, this is where I want to live,’” she said in the CNBC Make It report.

She loved the city’s restaurants, and its laid-back vibe, so she moved there in 2017. She then took up a few more teaching jobs abroad in China and Kuwait before moving back permanently in 2020.

Starting a New Business

According to Aborisade, teaching jobs don’t pay a lot in Mexico City, so she decided to set up her own business. She started “Picky Girl Travels the World,” which offers individualized financial coaching, relocation assistance, and retreats. With this, she makes $38,000 a year which is less than her teaching job but she works for just 15 hours a week.

“I’m less stressed and overall, my life is just filled with much more positivity and joy, I love my life,” Aborisade says. She also has a YouTube channel, “Picky Girl Travels the World” where she discusses financial literacy, her life abroad, and solo travel. The channel has close to 20,000 subscribers and provides another stream of income.

Aborisade charges about $2,000 for six months of one-on-one support, and around $2,400 for six months of one-on-one financial coaching and mentoring. She also offers free resources like “The Ultimate Move Abroad Checklist” and a guide on what not to do while teaching abroad.

Benefits of Living in Mexico City

As Aborisade’s income varies from month to month, she makes sure that financial priorities, like rent and utilities, are taken care of first. However, the cost of living in New Mexico is considerably less thus she doesn’t need to worry about how her money is spent.

Since she still makes money in US dollars, Aborisade has many necessities and luxuries within her reach in Mexico City. Her private health insurance costs her just $1,800 for a year, far less than the US.

She also has about $545,000 in retirement savings. Her two children and three grandchildren still live in the US. Further, she pays a 16% added tax on the cost of imported goods, which means standard items like a desk lamp may cost about $100.

But overall, Aborisade feels less stressed about her finances despite making a lot less and she will continue to live in Mexico City, she is clear.