Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Candice, and I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. From an early age, I was a lover of different cultures and languages and taught myself to speak Spanish by the age of 18. I began travelling from an early age after highschool mostly to Puerto Rico and places with high populations of Spanish-speaking people in an effort to immerse myself in the various cultures and perfect my language skills.
Aside from culture and languages, I love dancing salsa and kizomba, cooking, reading, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends. I also love going to spas and love visiting tea houses for tea time.
Although I did attend university, I ended up going to beauty school to obtain my esthetician's license after which my sister and I opened one of Orlando's first eyebrow threading and lash bars in our area for many years. We operated our salon until early 2019 when we decided to close our doors after I moved to Italy.
You have lived in more than four countries until now. What made you want to leave the US?
The first time I started thinking about life outside of the United States was after my first transatlantic trip to Paris, France. That trip really changed my entire perspective on life. I distinctly remember walking out of the doors of my Airbnb onto the street and just taking a good look around. It was a Wednesday afternoon, and people were at cafes sharing bottles of wine and just relaxing, and I said to myself this is fabulous! I had found my place in the world.
Over the next few years following that trip, I travelled to Cuba, Spain and Ghana. In 2018 I returned to Spain and did a six week sabbatical in Barcelona just to get my mind right and figure out what I was going to do with my life because by then I knew that I did not want to live in the United States full time. I deeply desired to live in a place where I felt valuable, and that was in alignment with my personal values and the things that I prioritized in life like time with family and friends.
The truth is that I was feeling very lonely in the US. Yes, I knew tons of people, but people were so busy focused on making money that I rarely saw anyone unless I planned and activity. Also, my dating life was suffering as I felt I wasn't meeting the types of men that held the same values that I did. This was in sharp contrast to my experiences whenever I was in Europe. I knew deep down inside that something had to change and soon.
After heading back home from Spain, I accompanied a friend to Italy in early summer of 2018 to Rome, Italy, and that was it. I had fallen in love with Rome and decided to pack up everything, my belongings, my kid, and our dogs, and hightail it to Italy. I have not looked back and have never regretted leaving. Leaving the US for me has hands down been the best decision I have ever made for my life and the life of my daughter.
Why did you move to Turkey? Why Istanbul?
So how I landed in Istanbul is quite interesting. What was only supposed to be a 10-day trip ended in me purchasing a flat here and relocating. I came to Istanbul in late February from Rome, for vacation and to check out the medical tourism business there. I instantly fell for the Turkish charm and hospitality. The energy in Istanbul deeply resonated with me as it is both modern and traditional, just like me.
About 3 or 4 days into my trip, the Turkish government banned all flights to and from Turkey due to the rising Covid-19 numbers in Italy. Soon after, the Italian government closed Italy's borders. I was officially stuck in Istanbul. There was about a 3-4 week window in which I had time to explore the city, and I quickly realized that I could have even more of what I wanted and needed out of life in Istanbul, not only that it made more sense fiscally. So I convinced my mother, and we purchased property here in Istanbul, Turkey, and we will have been here exactly one year at the end of February.
Did you find it hard to adapt there? What are the major challenges for an expat woman in a country like Turkey?
I consider myself to be very culturally fluid. I also practised Islam for 4-5 years, so for me it was not that hard to adapt culturally to living in Istanbul. Of course, there are challenges like learning the Turkish language, and differences in how certain systems work, but overall I have been able to make myself right at home.
I think that living in Turkey may present challenges for expat women who are extremely liberal in their personal and family values. I also believe that in certain sectors finding work here may be challenging.
As a property owner, can you tell us what defines the Turkish property market currently? How hard is it for an expat to buy property there?
I think that the time is right to buy property in Turkey. Turkey is a charming country, and the market is favourable for buyers at the moment. Everywhere I look, I see the signs that Turkey is ready for growth and positioning itself to be a major player in this region and the world. In my opinion, it is not hard to purchase property here in Turkey at all. I know two other foreigners who got stuck in Turkey during the lockdown last spring who also purchased property here.
Of course, you have to do your due diligence about any property you are considering to purchase and make sure that you are connected with a reputable real estate agent or real estate attorney. Also, Turkey has a few legal safeguards in place for foreigners buying property, like having a mandatory inspection by a licensed contractor/inspector. These things make for a smooth and relatively smooth process.
Where does your passion for feminity, motherhood, and helping women come from?
My passion for femininity, motherhood, and helping women come from my own personal journey. I grew up in the inner cities of Cleveland, Ohio, where it could be rough, and it isn't easy to be a soft, and feminine woman in that environment. I also grew up with very low self-esteem. I had to go through a healing journey to find the value and beauty of being uniquely me. Working in the beauty industry allowed me to come into contact with many women who were going through all sorts of life crisis. As a beauty professional, by default, you become your client's safe place and therapist. So I became a certified life and relationship coach and found purpose in helping women to not only look beautiful on the outside but feel even more beautiful on the inside.
Over the years, my growth as a woman has lead me to understand how wondrously designed we are as women, and the beauty and power we have in our unique womanly qualities and essence. Motherhood is a beautiful rite of passage that teaches you so much about life and loving unconditionally. Realizing that you are a portal to birthing life onto the planet is amazing. Not only this, but I have come to realize that when we as women own our energy as women, we can create and birth all sorts of things into existence including businesses, creative solutions to problems, and building powerful relationships and empires.
You're the author of two published books, "The Black Girl's Guide to Being Blissfully Feminine" and "A Girl's Guide to Being A Lady in Waiting", and another that's underway. What are they about and what inspired you to write them?
I wrote my first book "The Black Girl's Guide to Being Blissfully Feminine" five years ago, and that book was written from the desire to shift the consciousness of Black women into moving away from the stereotypes of having to be strong all the time. Those stereotypes of the strong, tough Black woman have real-life negative consequences and can be quite demoralizing. My second book was written after my divorce. I take my readers through my journey and the things that I learned and did to prepare myself to be remarried and love again.
My next book is going to be another Black Girl's guide focused on travelling, dating, and living abroad. I actually was working on another book about femininity when I was inspired to write this one. With more and more Black women contacting me about how inspired they are about my expat lifestyle and journey, I felt it necessary to write a guide book for them and our unique cultural concerns as Afro-Americans.
You're a founding member of Fearless Freedom, a program designed to help women relocate and purchase property abroad, and travel for medical tourism. According to you, how hard is it for women to become property owners abroad, and what should they keep in mind?
In my opinion and experience, it isn't hard at all to purchase property. As long as you have the money in the bank or can get funding, you can purchase property. The main things a woman should keep in mind are her reasons for buying the property and the benefits as well as responsibilities that come with owning property internationally. How will buying the property fit into the overall vision that you have for your life? Also, figure out costs for annual property taxes and upkeep, and make sure that you add your property into
your will so that it can be properly willed to next of kin when you pass away.
How do you cope with your professional life, your involvement in women's cause and your family life as an expat?
For me, I have learned the power of the word NO. It is a complete sentence. Also, I have created a feminine lifestyle schedule centred around my monthly cycle (I go into depth about this topic in the other book I am writing about femininity and the female cycle). Understanding my body's natural bio-rhythms, and when I naturally have more energy, I use these cues to plan things in my life. I don't bite off more than I can chew. I have learned how to ask for help when I need it, I have a beautiful circle of women in my life for support, and have learned how to build community as an expat so that I don't get burned out.
Also, family comes first for me. I have made sure to create family rituals that we can implement to stay bonded no matter where we are. I also take time out each week for what I like to call Self-Care Sunday. Sundays are my day to implement my weekly beauty routine where I pamper myself mind, body, and soul. I have truly created an entire lifestyle, and it feels amazing!
Is there any advice you would like to give to women moving or living abroad?
To get the most out of your experience living abroad, make sure to build community and stay open to the learning process. Living abroad is unique and will mould your life in such a beautiful way. I meet many women who do nothing but complain about their host countries, and I suggest melting into the differences and flowing rather than fighting the differences and becoming frustrated and upset.
Looking back on what you've achieved so far, is there anything you would have changed?
Looking back, I realize that every step of my journey has led me to this very moment, including my mistakes. I am perfectly imperfect, and accepting this has led me to be deeply grateful for my past and very optimistic about what lays ahead in my journey. Knowing what I know now, the only thing I would have done differently was leave sooner.
