California Woman Left LA, Closed Business, Moved to Albania

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cheryl Orlov, a 55-year-old from Los Angeles who moved to Albania in 2023. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I spent 23 years living in the Los Angeles area, where my home was two miles from Redondo Beach. I owned a furniture company for 32 years, built from the ground up, and worked very hard to create a comfortable lifestyle for myself.

I had a full life in Los Angeles. I built a good community of friends and was very active, especially in endurance sports. I’m a lover of traveling and experiencing different cultures, and I’ve always said that the city is a great place to live if you can’t travel the whole world.

While I was happy living in Los Angeles, I still had an aching wanderlust.

I used to travel abroad one to two times a year and was satisfied for a while. But back in 2016, I went to Africa for a charity trip. I visited Uganda, Morocco, and South Africa, and during my visit, something in me switched: I was ready to move abroad, I just had to figure out how.

A few things stood in my way. I owned a couple of properties and had a full time business. But as the years passed — it took about seven — I started unloading my properties. I downsized my home, and I even began to dissolve my business, all for the dream of leaving the US.

I found out about Albania on a podcast

In April 2022, I was listening to an expat podcast, and a blogger being interviewed said to check out Albania. I’ve been to all seven continents and almost 50 countries, and Albania wasn’t even on my radar back then.

I started doing a lot of research. I watched videos on YouTube and even interviewed female solo travelers about their experiences in Albania. And in September 2022, my friend and I took a scouting trip there.

During my scouting trip, I hired a driver who took us from city to city. We wound up in Tirana, the capital of Albania. Initially, I did not want to live there based on what I had read online, but when I was physically there, I knew right away that this was my place.

Albania’s culture and history are so rich — it’s mind-blowing. Historically, it has strong influences from the Ottoman Empire. The country broke free from communism in the 1990s and is still developing.

Albania is very similar to California topographically. Although it’s a small country, it features the Albanian Alps and coastlines along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.

I love the people of Albania; their hospitality is unmatched. They make you feel like you’re right at home and like your family.

I feel safe and comfortable where I live

After the scouting trip, I flew back to the US and started making arrangements to move. I sold almost everything I owned and continued dissolving my business.

I didn’t need to apply for a visa to visit Albania because Americans are allowed to stay for up to one year without one. After that, if we leave the country for 90 days, the one-year period resets when we return.

I found an apartment in Tirana, the capital city, by word of mouth on a Facebook group. An American had raved about the landlord, who had lived in America for six years.

I was moving my whole life to an unfamiliar place, so it was important to be in a good and safe area, in a building where people spoke English, and where I liked the landlord.

In September 2023, I moved to Tirana. I live in the city, but in a quiet neighborhood where a lot of Albanians live — immigrants and expats tend to live closer to the city center.

The building I live in is a five-unit villa where each level has its own apartment. I live on the ground level and have a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment. I have a good relationship with my landlord, and I wouldn’t say that’s the norm here, but I pay €400 ($466) a month.

My other bills are pretty affordable, too. I usually spend €20 to €30 ($23-$35) a week on food at the local market, and going out to dinner typically costs between €15 and €20 ($17-$23). Taking the bus costs about $0.50, and taxis are usually around €5.

I’ve never felt more like myself

Learning Albanian is tough, but one of the biggest challenges to living here is how often expats come and go. I’ve noticed that people usually stay for a year or two, then move on.

The impermanence is difficult for me — it’s just hard to keep saying goodbye. When I was in California, I didn’t have to worry about that as much. So, it’s something I’ve had to adjust to.

I don’t know if Albania will be my forever place, but still, I’m really happy here. I didn’t realize how stressed I was in America until I moved to Tirana.

While living here, I’m traveling more. From Albania, I can easily fly anywhere in Europe, Africa, or Asia — right now, I’m in Malaysia. I’ve been experiencing so many different cultures, and while that’s not for everyone, I feel like a more complete person.

Earlier this year, I finished dissolving the business. I’m not worried about being unemployed abroad, because I’ve been saving and building up my retirement since my 30s. While I don’t want to retire, I’m financially in a position to do so if I choose.

I do go back to the US from time to time to visit my friends and my family — my relationships are really important to me — but I don’t ever see myself moving back full-time.

I definitely wanted to leave the US earlier, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t do anything differently. I believe it’s never too late to start traveling or move to somewhere new.