What Smile Abroad Is Becoming

When Spencer and I left the United States, we were not trying to start a relocation company.

We were trying to build a different life.

We sold our house, our cars, and nearly everything we owned. Less than 60 days after making the decision, we landed in Albania with four checked bags, two carry-ons, and our cat, Arrow.

At the time, we did not know exactly what would come next. We knew that the life we had been living no longer felt sustainable, and we were ready to make a radical change.

Smile Abroad grew out of that decision.

We started sharing what we were learning because other people were asking the same questions we had asked: Where could we go? How much money would we need? What would we do with all our belongings? How would residency work? Could we actually create a stable, meaningful life somewhere new?

Over time, Smile Abroad became a place where people could get practical information about moving to Albania. We shared our experience, introduced people to trusted local help, created resources, hosted events, and built a community around the idea that leaving the United States did not have to remain an abstract dream.

That work still matters. Albania is our home base, an important part of our story, and one of the best places we know for someone who wants to begin building a life abroad.

But Smile Abroad is becoming something broader.

Moving abroad is not one decision

Most people do not begin by choosing an attorney, booking an apartment, or applying for residency.

They begin with a feeling.

Something about their current life is no longer working. They may feel exhausted, politically unsettled, financially trapped, or simply curious about what else might be possible.

Some people are ready to move within a few months. Others need a year or two to sell a house, change careers, organize their finances, or convince themselves that a different life is realistic.

That is why we are rebuilding Smile Abroad around the Escape Plan.

The Escape Plan is not a promise that everyone should move to Albania, the Dominican Republic, or anywhere else. It is a way to help people understand what they are actually trying to change and what their next practical step should be.

For one person, that step might be downloading our move-abroad checklist.

For someone else, it might mean selling nearly everything they own, joining the Smile Abroad Club, booking an Albania scouting trip, exploring residency options, or speaking with us one-on-one.

The goal is to help people move from vague dissatisfaction to a plan they can actually execute.

The Club is the ongoing support layer

YouTube videos and blog posts can answer a lot of questions, but they cannot replace regular support.

The Smile Abroad Club is where people can bring their real circumstances into the conversation. Members join weekly calls, ask questions, learn from others, and work through the practical and emotional parts of building a life abroad.

Some members are still in the United States. Others are already living in Albania or elsewhere. Some are planning a permanent move, while others are trying to create a more flexible life across several countries.

The Club is not only about where to move. It is about how to keep moving forward when the process becomes complicated, overwhelming, or uncertain.

It also gives us a way to stay close to the people we serve. Their questions help us understand what resources, destinations, services, and experiences we should build next.

Albania remains a major part of what we do

Albania is where we proved to ourselves that this kind of change was possible.

It is also where we have developed trusted relationships and practical knowledge that can help other people avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Smile Abroad now connects people with support for residency, real estate, rentals, local services, and the everyday questions that arise when someone is trying to establish a life here.

We are not trying to become the provider of every service ourselves. Instead, we want to be the trusted starting point.

Someone should be able to come to Smile Abroad, explain what they are trying to accomplish, and be directed toward the right next step or the right local partner.

That creates a better experience for the person moving, a clearer source of qualified leads for our partners, and a sustainable business model for Smile Abroad.

We are also building destination experiences

Not everyone is ready to choose a country from a spreadsheet.

Sometimes you need to spend time in a place, meet the environment on its own terms, and ask yourself whether you could imagine a real life there.

That is part of why we are developing a founder trip in the Dominican Republic.

The trip will give a small group the opportunity to experience the finca, explore the surrounding area, and help us shape a future Smile Abroad destination before we open it more broadly.

This is not meant to be a conventional group tour. It is part scouting trip, part lifestyle reset, and part behind-the-scenes look at something we are actively building.

Albania gave us our first home abroad. The Dominican Republic may become another place where members of our community can explore a different version of life, community, property, and possibility.

Zemër brings the story into people’s homes

Zemër may look different from relocation services or destination trips, but it comes from the same idea.

A life abroad is not only visas, paperwork, and real estate. It is also food, place, relationships, traditions, and the products that connect people to a country.

Zemër is our Albanian olive oil brand. We are preparing to launch with an everyday olive oil and a preorder for the 2026 harvest.

For us, this is not simply about selling olive oil. It is about creating a physical product rooted in the place where our new life began.

It also gives people another way to participate in the Smile Abroad story, even if they are not ready to move, join a trip, or become a Club member.

They can support an Albanian product, follow the sourcing and harvest process, and bring a small piece of this life into their own home.

One business, several entry points

From the outside, Smile Abroad may now appear to include several different things:

• Escape planning
• The Smile Abroad Club
• Albania relocation services
• Residency and real estate introductions
• Saranda stays
• Dominican Republic founder trips
• Zemër olive oil
• Guides, courses, events, and resources

But we do not see these as unrelated businesses.

They are different entry points into the same idea.

Smile Abroad helps people imagine, plan, experience, and build a life abroad.

Some people will begin with a free checklist. Some will join the Club. Some will move to Albania. Some will book a stay, buy property, join a founder trip, or preorder a bottle of olive oil.

The path will not be the same for everyone.

Our job is to help people identify the path that fits them and create useful, trustworthy ways for them to keep moving forward.

What comes next

We are still building this model.

Some parts are established. Others are in their earliest stages. We are learning what works, listening to our community, and trying to be honest about what we know and what we are still figuring out.

That is also what this Journal will document.

We will continue publishing practical guides about moving abroad and living in Albania. We will also share destination scouting, behind-the-scenes business updates, lessons from the products and experiences we are building, and reflections on the life we have created since leaving the United States.

Smile Abroad started with our decision to leave.

What it is becoming is a way for more people to turn that same desire for change into something real.

Not sure which part of Smile Abroad fits you? Start by building your Escape Plan.