Meet Alesse Lightyear, a 30-year-old American, who has made the leap. She quit her high-stress corporate job in New York City to go on her own largely transformative journey. She was particularly stressed out by the fast-paced world of reality TV production. Looking for a change, she made the decision to move to China and teach English as a second language. It’s been an incredible four years for Lightyear in Beijing. In 2023, she relocated to Chengdu, where she has continued to flourish both personally and professionally.
Lightyear’s decision to leave New York was driven by her experiences in the city’s demanding work environment. She’d lived in neighborhoods all around the five boroughs of NYC and had even lived over in Jersey City. Reflecting on her life before the move, she stated, “I was living check to check, which sucked. My last few years living and working in New York City were some of the most stressful years of my life.”
In Chengdu, Lightyear seemed to have discovered a culturally richer, more affordable lifestyle. Her rent is generally around $556 per month. Now, thanks to a small rent stipend, she pays just $278. Her living expenses are still exceptionally low by New York standards. Now, she pays under $15 each month for her unlimited cell phone plan. She pays $50 a month for electricity and only spends about $75 on groceries a month. She budgets $150 a month for restaurants.
“The benefits of this job just make life easy and cheap,” Lightyear noted, emphasizing the financial freedom she has gained since relocating. With this new stability, she’s able to put nearly $1,000 a month into savings. She increases her teaching income by making educational content and sharing it through an active YouTube profile.
“At the height of my career in New York, I was probably making $100,000 a year and working eight months out of the year, which on paper sounds great, but New York City is one of the world’s most expensive cities, so that $100,000 went extremely fast,” she explained.
After the better part of a decade working himself to burnout, Lightyear was done. “I was tired of working 70 hours a week for ten years. Being in my 20s, I felt like a 50-year-old woman,” she remarked. This awakening made her determined to find opportunities where she could achieve a greater work-life balance.
Lightyear had only recently signed a lease for her new Chengdu apartment. She’ll be remaining for an additional 18 months, which indicates she’s exceedingly satisfied with her present state. As she plans her next moves, she is thinking about moving back to Michigan. “In China, I can challenge myself every day and I know that in another country, after a while, those challenges leave,” she said.
Living in China as a non-Chinese person isn’t easy. More than the funding, Lightyear values the unfiltered education that comes with working in this strange culture. “The process happens easily. As long as you have the money, you do everything right then and there,” she explained about settling into her new life.
Lightyear’s tale underscores the promise that relocating abroad holds for young professionals seeking both economic reprieve and personal development. She continues her journey in Chengdu with infectious enthusiasm. Yet, even as she celebrates her hard-fought victory, she recognizes the difficulties that lie ahead.