The Myth of the Charmed Life

Let’s talk about the myth of the “charmed life.”

Over the years, I’ve heard things like:

“You’re so lucky to have lived and worked all over the world.”
“Must be nice to travel so much.”
“It just seems like things come easily for you.”

But most of it wasn’t luck, aside from the early gift of being born into a supportive family that valued education.

The rest came from asking, applying, showing up, and adapting.

At 25, I landed in Tokyo without a job. I found work teaching English and stayed for a year. Later, I taught in France, Albania, and India.

Then I moved to Dubai to work for a startup. I quickly sensed that the company was on shaky ground and began quietly interviewing for other jobs. While I was on vacation, I received an email that the company was shutting down effective immediately.

Because I had seen it coming, I was able to transition quickly into a new role in the aluminum industry, also in Dubai. That job turned out to be a much better fit, and I stayed there for the next four years.

After my years working abroad, I spent a decade in corporate America. And now I live with my family in Spain and work for myself, designing custom travel experiences for others.

None of that was luck. It was the result of a series of choices over time.

Still, I have seen how often people confuse visible outcomes with the effort behind them.

Once, for instance, I asked to move into a plum window desk space that had sat empty for months. My manager said yes, so I moved. Soon after, I heard someone on the team say, “She always gets what she wants.”

But the difference was not favoritism. It was just that I asked.

At another job, a colleague assumed I had fewer assignments and complained to our manager. The manager later told me she had explained that I had actually completed more work. I just worked faster.

So much of what looks like ease is really a combination of initiative, resilience, and a willingness to tolerate uncertainty.

I live in a small village in Spain now. Most expats in our area prefer to be closer to the sea. We love the coast too, but we chose an inland village about 30 minutes from the water because the homes were more affordable.

We bought a modest house outright, and renovated it. That choice gives us the freedom to travel more.

It wasn't luck. It was a series of deliberate choices.

I share this because many people quietly build intentional lives and then get called lucky for the results.

To anyone who has been underestimated or misjudged:

Keep going. Apply. Ask for what you want. Say yes to the risk and take the leap.

It is not luck.
It is you.