Finding Opportunity in Adversity with Marla Stein | Ep 41 She Hit Refresh

Welcome to Season 4 of the She Hit Refresh podcast.  A podcast for women age 30 and up who want to break free from routine and start a life of travel. Specifically women who want to move abroad or travel the world long-term. I sit down with women who have made their refresh dreams come true and discuss how and why they moved abroad or hit the road to travel.

In this episode I speak to Marla Stein! I met Marla virtually are few years ago in the the She Hit Refresh facebook group. At the time she was teaching English in South Korea and since then she’s become a moderator for our online community, a content writer for our website, she’s joined us in Morocco on our 2020 retreat, and last but not least she’s become a wonderful friend who I was so excited to finally have on the podcast!

Life has thrown a lot of curveballs at Marla which we'll talk about in this episode and she'll also share how she's been able to find opportunities in every challenge.

What we discuss


What the non-lucrative visas for Spain process has been like during COVID
Why she moved to South Korea and what it's like to teach English there
How being diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30s impacted her life
How to transitioned from non-profit fundraising into content writing (she's a writer for She Hit Refresh!)
How she's turned the adversities in her life into opportunities
and more!


About Marla

Originally from New York, Marla is a wanderlust who thrives on adventure and new experiences. To date, she's traveled to close to 40 countries and has lived in London, Tel Aviv, San Francisco, Boston, and South Korea. At the moment, she's eagerly waiting for her visa for Spain to come through so she can hit refresh in Europe.

Marla holds a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Master Degree in International and Intercultural Studies. She's also a former non-profit fundraising director and has worked for health, education, and international focused organizations.

While she's hit refresh numerous times, one of her most "extreme" changes was saying goodbye to her career and social life in San Francisco to teach English as a Second Language in a small town in South Korea. Since then, she's launched Marlita's Atlas Writing Service and creates content for clients in T.H.E (Travel, Health, and Education) industries. Her clients include one of the largest travel information sites in the United States and She Hit Refresh.

Connect with Marla on her website Marlita's Atlas. Find more information about her experiences in Korea on YouTube at Marla S. (don’t forget the period). Learn more about why she's moving to Spain in her article 9 Reasons Why I’m Leaving the United States to Live in Spain. 

Looking to move to Europe? Get your copy of I'm Outta Here! An American's Ultimate Visa Guide to Living in Europe.  Join our She Hit Refresh Facebook Group, get more tips and advice on how to hit refresh on our blog and follow us on on Instagram and Twitter. 

Check out our Forbes feature: How Americans Can Move To Europe (It’s Easier Than You Think)!