Interview Series

Good morning!

I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to live the life you actually want to live.

Thank you for your continued support.

I started this newsletter with the goal to inspire you to live the life you actually want to live.

Along the way I had the idea of creating an interview series.

I have many friends who are incredibly successful in what each set out to accomplish for themselves and their families.

I believe each individual I interview can provide valuable insight into life and career success through a series of questions I ask them to answer.

My goal is to find key takeaways from their answers that I can apply to my life and career.

My hope is that their answers can do the same for you.

This week, I'd like to introduce my friend Adi Korman.

Adi and I met through X (formerly known as Twitter) several weeks ago and established a virtual friendship.

He and I both share a passion for traveling.

I thought my passion for traveling was admirable.

Adi and his wife take travel to the next level.

Adi and his wife, both educators and originally from New York City, decided to trade in “the American Dream for life abroad” and currently live in China.

I asked Adi if I could interview him for this newsletter.

He generously agreed and poured his life story into answering my questions.

Adi’s story is tailor made for this newsletter.

Here’s my interview with Adi:

You and your wife are educators and originally from NYC - tell us a little about yourself and what motivated you and your wife to trade in the "American Dream for life abroad?"

My wife and I were both raised in New York City and decided to pack our bags for the west coast 7 years ago. My wife, Nieves, grew up in the Bronx with a loving mom who did a phenomenal job with limited financial resources. I grew up in both Queens and Long Island, gaining very different experiences between both.

My wife has been an educator for 5 years in Washington and Arizona before transitioning into a leadership role.

I was a Physical Therapist and Acupuncturist in the States for 5 years. After 3 years in the field, I took on a corporate position at one of the fastest-growing healthcare franchises in the U.S. My role was Director of Clinical Operations, leading the medical training for Acupuncturists across the country.

Over these 5 years, we strategized and executed our financial plans to pay off $75k in student [loan] debt and increase our savings rate.

[Within] 18 months, we became completely debt free.

We continued to save and invest 70% of our pre-tax income over several years.

We were avid travelers well before our professional careers.

We shared international trips to Europe, Central America, and Israel.

In the Pacific Northwest, we owned a Eurovan that took us to all the West Coast national parks and countless weekend camping trips.

With 3 and 6 months of paid leave from work, we made the most of our time with trips to Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, and the Colorado Rockies.

We intentionally decided to have a child on a trip to Zion National Park. A year later, our son was born in Phoenix, Arizona. We've been preparing to move abroad for years, and our son was the push we needed.

With ample savings, remote work, and a passive income portfolio, we took off to Costa Rica with our 6-month-old.

Three months in Costa Rica turned into [living in] Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, and Spain.

You've been traveling around quite a bit - what's your favorite destination so far?

I can go on and on about my favorite trips.

Over 18 months, we've lived in 20 different locations in different environments.

On solo trips, I also visited the Amazon, Patagonia, Morocco, and countless other destinations.

Our favorite place to live in South America is Buenos Aires. The culture, food, safety, and energy all make it a unique experience in Latin America. Buenos Aires is like living in a top European city with Latin American prices.

The Amazon in the isolated northeastern region of Ecuador was unforgettable.

Patagonia is a wonderland of mountains, lakes, glaciers, and wildlife.

What are some highlights (and lessons learned) for you and your family living abroad?

Overall, our experience living abroad was exceptionally positive.

Despite a lackluster month in overrated Santa Marta, Colombia, we chose fantastic destinations for long-term rentals.

Speaking Spanish in Central and South America was incredibly helpful. Unlike Europe, most locals in Latin America do not speak English. Renting Airbnbs for a month at a time requires interaction with the homeowner. I'm sure important things would have been lost in translation without a grasp of the language.

Connecting with other locals and making friends also provided the best recommendations for day trips, local food, and experiencing the local lifestyle.

We pride ourselves on not being tourists, rather doing our best to integrate into the local way of life.

Where will you ultimately settle and be working from?

Before our travels, we decided to continue our careers in international education.

I decided to transform my bachelor's degree in Biology into a Master's degree in education to teach my passion for the sciences internationally.

We both wanted to have a matching schedule with our son and experience 3 months of full-time travel together yearly.

Here we are now.

I am writing this from Shenzhen, China. The Silicon Valley of Asia. We both are working at separate international schools that boast incredible reputations.

Our son will start school here in Shenzhen next week at the same school my wife [will work in].

This incredible city will be our home during the school year for the next two years.

Barcelona will be our summer home base as we explore Europe and other spots for two months each summer.

The benefits of our careers extend well beyond pay and include housing, transportation, health care, and our son's tuition.

Ultimately accelerating our path to financial freedom and making us "work optional" in the near term.

We are still determining where we'll be in two years - if we'll stay or leave for another country in Asia.

Right now, we are settling into our new apartment in Shenzhen and enjoying the incredible environment, food, and culture all around us.

What advice would you give someone who is considering a life of living abroad?

To anyone that wants to travel long-term or live abroad, pick a spot and go!

Everyone's case is totally unique.

We did it with a baby, wanting to sustain careers and grow our wealth abroad. Others may be older with the means for traditional retirement. Others may be out of school, looking to figure out life from their backpack.

My main suggestion for anyone is to set up a responsible financial game plan giving yourself a 6-month runway.

This is much less than you think traveling in Latin America. More than you think traveling in Europe.

Turn off your access to U.S. news and make time each day to walk and explore your new environment.

Learning the language will make you feel a sense of achievement each day.

Traveling abroad is one of the top desires of everyone I know.

Most don't do it, or they wait until retirement to start.

Trust me, don't wait!

If you could have a billboard anywhere in the U.S., where would it be, and what would it say?

If I had a billboard anywhere in the U.S., I would choose to put it at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park:

"Remember This Feeling. Create More of It"

Adi: thank you so much for taking the time to share your inspirational story.

I look forward to the day we meet (somewhere) in Europe.

I wish you and your family all the best in the next incredible chapter of your lives.

You can follow Adi’s journey on Twitter here.

My key takeaways:

Adi and his wife saved and invested 70% of their pre-tax income over several years.

For anyone considering living abroad: set up a responsible financial game plan giving yourself a 6-month runway.

Traveling abroad is one of the top desires of everyone Adi’s knows. Most don't do it, or they wait until retirement to start. Don’t wait.

What are your key takeaways?

Interesting reads:

Man who visited every country without flying has finally returned home.

They quit their jobs and sold everything to drive around the world with two young children.

Thanks for reading!

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