- A couple moved from the US to Morocco for a better lifestyle and work-life balance.
- They work remotely, giving them time to enjoy the country’s culture and leisure at night.
- They are expecting a baby, so they appreciate Morocco’s safety, health care and family-oriented culture.
This spoken essay is based on a conversation with Arleevia and Ricoyo Lyles. The couple moved from the US to Tangier, Morocco, in November. Arleevia, 26, works in marketing and Ricoyo, 40, works in finance. Both work remotely in US-focused jobs and are expecting a child in April. The couple threads for on YouTube about their experience living abroad. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Ricoyo: After spending a few days here on our honeymoon, we fell in love with the culture, the people and the food. I was joking with Arleevia when I asked her, “Hey, what do you think about moving to Morocco?” I didn’t think I would get the response I did. This prompted us to go down the rabbit hole of “What if we moved here?”
Arleevia: We work remotely so we thought it was doable. We did not own any property in the US. It was just a conversation with my employer. They said, “As long as you do your job.” Ricoyo has his own financial firm that he just started, so he is his own employer. So for him, working remotely was not a problem. He works on US Central Standard Time. He works from around 4pm to 2 or 3am and wakes up from 11am the next day.
Ricoyo: We lived in Nashville. We had been there for about three years and then moved to my hometown of Las Vegas, right before we moved to Morocco.
My biggest worry was, “Will I fall asleep talking to customers?” But we have adapted to it. It’s almost back to an evening type position. It’s funny because the culture here is kind of a late-night culture anyway. At night, there are still people in cafes drinking coffee and going to restaurants. My schedule almost fits the vibe of the city.
Arleevia: We are still able to go out, explore the city and hang out with friends in the afternoon if we want to. I work in the mornings and often close out in the evenings because I don’t get as many customer calls as he does. We have been able to acclimatize and socialize.
They have a healthy work-life balance here. Yes, they work hard, but they also believe in leisure and rest. You see a lot of people out during the day – in cafes drinking tea together. Many men will go out and go back to work. Having that kind of influence has been very helpful for us to say, “OK, we can take a break.” We don’t have to grind, grind, grind, like we did in the US.
Ricoyo: Family priority seems to be much higher on the list. Even just seeing families out and about is super-soothing. We went to a park the other day and were thinking, “When was the last time we saw so many kids in a park?”
From the point of view of raising a child here, this would be a great thing for our daughter.
From a security and crime point of view, it’s a very low crime rate.
Arleevia: When it comes to gun violence, especially, we don’t have to think about it. We just feel a lot safer.
Also, the health care is amazing. We had to find a gynecologist. We didn’t expect it to be as amazing as it was. I have had the most thorough doctor experience of my life. In the US, my checkup appointments would average five to 15 minutes. Here we spent 45 minutes to an hour with our doctor. She was so thorough, so caring, and deeply invested in answering every question I had.
Arleevia and Ricoyo have found their quality of life in Morocco to be high. Courtesy Arleevia and Ricoyo Lyles
Ricoyo: I have always been conditioned not to do better than the US, because nowhere else has the luxury that we have in the US. However, in terms of lifestyle, in Morocco the quality of food, for example, seems much better.
Arleevia: Even when it comes to customer service and the way they treat people, it’s with such respect and care – and they make sure everyone feels supported. I feel this happens when people are able to take time away from work and spend time with their family.
Ricoyo: I set my schedule, and sometimes Arleevia will say, “Hey, babe, maybe don’t book so many dates today. Let’s go do something and explore a little.” So she kind of keeps me grounded. Otherwise, I will work the next day.
There are other differences. For example, in terms of race, it’s not something you think about as soon as you meet someone. Here, they seem to think more in nationality, if anything. They’re thinking, “Are you from Senegal? Are you from the US?” Even then, many people seem to love other countries.
Back to safety: As a black man, this is something that has always been on my mind. Being here, we don’t have to think about it that much, if at all. It’s been good to interact human to human and then try to relate to your own experience versus the stereotype behind skin color.
In the US, when a stranger approaches me, it’s like I’m on guard. But here, you just meet some of the most amazing people who take time out of their day. They’ll say, “Hey, let me show you something here.” I find myself having to lower my defenses. I will stop and spend time, talk with them and enjoy cups of tea.
When my friends ask me what it’s like to live here, I think of it as a one-sentence answer: “It reminds me of the good old days.” It seems like time has really slowed down. You really are able to take time out of your day and – not to be soft – really smell the roses.
Arleevia: There is a high level of respect for people here, especially when I am pregnant. There is so much caution around this. The men say, “Hey, sit down. I can help you with your luggage.”
We often see – and this is something very different – if an elderly person tries to cross the road, someone who is much younger will come and help them. They don’t even know them from Adam, but they will go and walk the streets to make sure they get through safely. This is something you see in old movies, but it’s a common practice here.
Arleevia: We want to be here for a few years because we’ve moved around a lot. It would be ideal to stay for three to five years. Even if it is not in Tangier, we will be open to live in another country. We definitely see this as a long term life abroad.
Missing church has probably been the hardest thing for us to adjust to. Morocco is a Muslim majority country. There are Christian churches around, but it’s hard to find them.
Being away from family is definitely hard too. We miss them a lot. The language barrier was probably the next difficult thing. But other than that, it’s been a very smooth transition for us.
Ricoyo: The best things in life are often outside our comfort zone. People always talk about how it would be great to travel the world, see other countries and experience other cultures. This is making it a reality.
