I work remotely from a Caribbean island. Here's how I relocated from Oregon, found love, and started a family, without comprising my career.

• Shelby Smith took a six-month career break and traveled to Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island.
• Smith fell in love and moved from Portland, Oregon, to Curaçao permanently to start her family.
• She described the pros and cons of relocating and highlighted some of her monthly expenses.

This as-told-to is based on a transcribed conversation with Shelby Smith. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2013 I moved from Portland, Oregon, to Aitutaki in the Cook Islands after college for four months to teach English. It's a tiny island of about 2,000 people.

Being alone without my friends or family gave me anxiety bad enough to turn to medication. However, I didn't want this experience to stop me from traveling.