I moved to Turkey on a whim and work remotely from the US

• Jacki Ueng was a “digital nomad” who began to work remotely in Turkey after the pandemic.
  
• She purchased an Istanbul apartment for about $100,000 and decided to relocate there.
  
• Now, she embraces a working-while-traveling life where she’s always on call.

This is an as-told to essay based upon a conversation with Jacki, who lives in Turkey and works remotely. This essay has been edited to be more concise and clear.

For years, I had been dreaming of moving to the Mediterranean. The pandemic changed everything and I made the decision to finally make the leap.

While California was still under partial lockdown in August 2020, I was eager to travel. Turkey was one country that I could travel to, so I decided to visit Lebanon. Beirut explosion took place 10 days before my departure. It was a country in turmoil, and it wasn’t right to leave.

Turkish Airlines had an Istanbul layover so I decided to travel there. I took a carry-on and planned to spend two nights at Second Home Hostel. This hostel was one of my favorites from 2010.

After only 2 days, I was certain that my life in America was over.

I canceled my flight home and spent the next few weeks exploring Turkey — from Konya to Cappadocia, beach towns, the southern coast, and many places in between.

I met fellow travellers and Turkish expatriates through a WhatsApp group. This helped me to establish a local community. Turkey at the time was very accommodating in granting one-year resident visas. They even granted citizenship to property owners who had purchased property valued at less than $250,000. I quickly made friends with Turkish people who wanted to embrace their new life. 

As many of my new friends, it’s easy to work digitally via my smartphone and laptop. I’m the vice president of business development for Ticor Title — a title insurance company in Los Angeles. I’ve been with Ticor Title since 2006 and have built a network of clients. My income is not subject to any cap since it is commission-based.

Passive income is also earned from real estate investments

Half of my properties in Southern California are located, and I am about to close on a Dallas four-unit, which will be my eighth property.

After seeing the vibrant real-estate market in Istanbul I decided to buy some property. American citizens can purchase property in Turkey very easily. I found a charming apartment in Cihangir, a liberal and bohemian neighborhood on the European side Istanbul. It was originally my intention to rent it out, but I moved in after three months of renovations and decided to make it my permanent home. It was purchased for 900,000. Turkish Liras. This is approximately $100,000 US. My apartment has doubled in value in less than one year.

My time is spent making new friends, playing tennis and pilates, walking around neighborhoods and trying to understand the complex history of Turkey. I travel the country to meet people and explore its many regions. I also work remotely. Turkey’s flights are very affordable at $40 per way. Sometimes you might even find flights starting at $15

Being a digital nomad means I don’t have to be tied to any office.

My boss is supportive and trusts me. It doesn’t really matter where I live as long as I can finish my tasks.

My only problem is that I’m always available to help. I would never leave work or go to my out-of-office email. I am on my email answering clients when it reaches 6 p.m. I cringe when people ask how I go on vacation so much, because I’m not on vacation — I’m working wherever I travel. My iPhone allows me to work from anywhere I want, including my apartment, bar, airport lounge, and still answer my emails.

It was a wonderful lifestyle that allowed me to relocate to Turkey. It’s a beautiful balance between East and West that I fell in Love with. American-born, my parents are Taiwanese and my grandparents are Chinese. I love Turkey’s public transportation system and infrastructure. They are among the best I have seen anywhere. But I recognize the privilege of earning dollars in Turkey, where wages are only a fraction of what they are in the US.

One day I hope to have children, but for now, I’d rather raise them in Turkey than the USA. I also fell in love with the owner of that first hostel I stayed in — so that’s an extra perk.