When Cara Celeste West left the United States with her young family, it wasn’t driven by restlessness or a desire to escape. It was a deliberate decision shaped by motherhood, safety, and the kind of life she wanted to build for her daughter.
Known online as The Digital Nomad Mom, Cara has built a life abroad that prioritizes presence over pace and intention over expectation. From settling in Greece to raising her child across cultures while building a location-independent business, her journey offers a thoughtful lens on what it means to redefine home, freedom, and belonging.
I sat down with Cara to talk about the moment that changed everything, how living abroad reshaped her understanding of safety and identity, and what she’s learned about raising a child in a world that no longer fits neatly within borders.
You made the decision to leave the U.S. in part for your daughter’s safety. What did “safety” mean for you, and how has being abroad changed how you think about raising her?
Before moving abroad, my family and I lived in Texas. When I became a new mother, I found myself increasingly anxious about the safety of sending my daughter to daycare, especially with the growing number of mass shootings in the U.S. As my maternity leave was ending and daycare became our only option, the Uvalde school shooting occurred, and that moment became a turning point for us. It made me realize I wanted a different environment to raise my child. That decision ultimately led us to relocate to a peaceful island in Greece, where there’s a strong sense of community and I have peace of mind knowing my daughter can go to school free from the fear of gun violence.
As a Black woman, mother, and entrepreneur, what parts of your identity feel most celebrated when you travel or live abroad, and what parts still feel challenged or under-seen?
One of the most liberating parts of living abroad as a Black woman is that I’m seen first for my nationality, not the color of my skin. When people meet me, they ask about my experience as an American, not my race, and for the first time in my life, I’m able to exist without constantly being reminded of the color of my skin.
As a mother, I feel incredibly supported. In many cultures, especially Greek culture, family is deeply valued. I’ve experienced so much kindness and generosity from strangers here in Greece and in other countries simply because they see that I have a child. Whether it’s someone offering to let me go first in line or helping carry my groceries, I never feel ashamed of being a mother here, I feel celebrated.
And as an entrepreneur who works online in places where remote work isn’t as common as it is in the U.S., I often get curious questions about what I do. People are genuinely interested and inspired by my work, and it’s been rewarding to see how my journey encourages others to explore remote opportunities and create lives that allow them to have more freedom.
Family travel often requires trade-offs. How do you balance adventure, comfort, and security when you’re traveling with your daughter?
One thing we’ve learned through our journey of traveling as a family is the beauty of slow travel. We love settling into one country for a while and taking weekend trips from there. It gives us a nice balance of routine during the week and adventure on the weekends since I work full time in addition to running my business as a content creator. We also make sure to build in a few lazy days every couple of weeks to simply relax and order takeout.
Traveling this way has given us a much deeper connection to the places we visit. Instead of just passing through as tourists, we get to live like locals, shopping at neighborhood markets, joining local gyms, visiting parks, and using public transportation. It’s a slower pace, but it’s where the real magic of travel happens.
You compare life in the U.S. with life abroad often. What have been the biggest differences in cost of living, healthcare, education, and overall quality of life for your family?
We’ve ultimately decided to make Greece our home base, and with that has come a much lower cost of living. Because we earn an American salary while living here, we’re incredibly grateful to have the flexibility to live comfortably, something that felt out of reach when we were living paycheck to paycheck in the U.S.
Here, we can enjoy simple luxuries like dining out a few times a week, having a larger home, and affording childcare for our daughter. What we love most, though, are the everyday joys that cost little to nothing, taking our daughter to play in the town square, swimming in the sea, or grabbing an inexpensive scoop of gelato.
We also have access to excellent healthcare through our international insurance, which allows us to visit any doctor and be fully covered. Moving here has given us not only financial freedom but also the opportunity to make real progress toward our long-term goals, paying down debt faster and building our savings, all while enjoying a slower, more fulfilling lifestyle. What we’ve achieved by living abroad in two years would have taken us five years or more in the U.S. to do.
How did you build your business while living a nomadic life, and what helps you stay consistent and grounded?
Building my business while living a nomadic lifestyle really started with leaning into my story and being transparent about my journey — the challenges, the wins, and everything in between. I began sharing my experiences online, from working remotely while traveling to raising my daughter abroad, and that naturally evolved into a community of people who wanted to learn how to create the same kind of freedom for themselves.
From there, I built digital products, retreats, and programs designed to help others take their first steps toward living and working abroad.
When it comes to staying consistent and grounded, I’m incredibly grateful for the support of my husband. He plays an active role in my business and also keeps our home running smoothly as the primary caregiver for our daughter. Having that partnership allows me to focus on creating, building, and showing up fully, both for my work and for our family.
How has motherhood changed your idea of “freedom” and “home”?
Motherhood has completely reshaped my idea of both freedom and home. In the beginning, when my daughter was a newborn, freedom looked like small moments such as taking a walk, having a quiet cup of coffee, or simply getting a few hours of sleep. Everything revolved around her schedule, and travel required much more planning and patience.
Now that she is a toddler, we are experiencing a beautiful balance between structure and adventure. She understands so much more now. She recognizes places, connects with people, and is curious about the world around her. That awareness has allowed us to travel in a completely new way, from camping through the Scottish Highlands to watching the northern lights together in Iceland.
Those moments remind me that freedom is not about constant movement but about being fully present wherever we are as a family.
Home, to me, is no longer a specific place but a feeling. It is wherever we are together, building memories, finding peace, and creating a life that reflects our values. Living this way has made me feel both grounded and open to wherever life leads us next.
What does the phrase “boundless life” mean to you, practically, for your family, your work, and your sense of belonging?
To me, living a boundless life means creating a life that is not defined by limitations or expectations. Practically, it looks like having the freedom to design our life with intention, from choosing where we live, how we work, and how we raise our daughter in a way that feels aligned with our values rather than dictated by societal norms.
For our family, a boundless life means curiosity, exploration, and connection. It is the ability to wake up in a new country and decide to explore, to learn from different cultures, and to raise our daughter with a global perspective that celebrates diversity and open-mindedness.
In my work, it means helping others see that this kind of freedom is possible for them too.
And when it comes to belonging, a boundless life has taught me that home is not a single place and can be found in the connection of the people we meet and the memories we are creating.
Can you share a moment when you felt particularly supported abroad, and perhaps a time when you felt the opposite?
Because much of my content focuses on life in Greece, I’ve had the opportunity to build such a positive relationship with the Greek community. Many locals recognize me in town, and even when visiting other islands or traveling on the mainland, I’ve been met with nothing but kindness and curiosity. I speak very highly of Greece because it truly is home for us, and the people here have embraced my family with so much warmth and generosity.
What’s been especially beautiful is that my experience has been overwhelmingly positive not only in Greece but throughout our travels in other countries as well. Even in places I wasn’t sure would be as welcoming to Black Americans, like Albania, Romania, and Bosnia, I’ve had nothing but friendly encounters and genuine hospitality.
What have you learned about raising a child across cultures, and what values do you hope to pass on to her?
Raising a child across cultures has been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey. Watching my daughter adapt so effortlessly, whether she’s playing with local children in Greece or learning a few words in another language while we travel, reminds me how naturally open and curious children are about the world.
For her, the world feels big but familiar, and that’s something I deeply cherish. I want her to grow up knowing that she belongs everywhere and that her identity isn’t limited by where she was born but enriched by the many places and people she encounters along the way.
The values I hope to pass on to her are empathy, curiosity, and courage. Empathy to connect with others no matter their background, curiosity to keep learning from different cultures, and courage to live life on her own terms.
Lastly, what’s next for you and your family?
We still have so many places we want to explore, especially in Asia. Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia are at the top of our list, and we’re excited to continue seeing more of the world together as a family. As we grow, both personally and as a family, our hope is to keep inspiring other families through our content to take the leap to living abroad.
Living in different countries where we don’t speak the language or fully understand the customs or public transportation can be incredibly humbling. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and teaches you so much about patience, resilience, and adaptability. Those challenges have shaped us just as much as the beautiful moments have.
Looking ahead, I want to continue building a business that allows us to live freely while helping others do the same. Our journey is just beginning, and I’m excited for all the adventures, lessons, and connections that still lie ahead.
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Cara Celeste’ West is a family travel and lifestyle creator known as The Digital Nomad Mom. She shares her journey of raising a child abroad while building a location-independent business rooted in slow travel and intentional living. Currently based in Greece with her husband and daughter, she writes and creates at www.caracelestewest.com.
