With more people working from home after Covid-19, in addition to inflation, the rising cost of living, and other social concerns, there is an influx of expats, digital nomads, and individuals who relocate internationally. This migration from developed to developing nations has intensified gentrifications in several popular destinations, such as Mexico City, Bali, Lisbon, Medellín, and Tulum. Luxury condos, higher cost of living based on U.S dollars, and replacing local infrastructures and norms with North American and Western European customs have made life more difficult for the locals. 

In this episode, I have a special guest, Melissa, an American woman who's lived in Medellín, Colombia since 2019, to share her observations, experiences, and tips about how to be a more responsible and mindful expat to cherish the local community and contribute to the economy. We discuss choosing community over comfort, how to navigate the rental process in a foreign country, the balance between recognizing one's expat privilege and making a life abroad meaningful, as well as ways to immerse into the local community. 

You can connect with Melissa @migrantmeli on Tiktok.

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