The not-so-glamorous life of a super-commuting mom: 5,000 miles for 10 days of work

A Swedish-based NICU nurse who works as a per diem traveler says the not-so-glamorous life of dual living is not the dream some describe. Courtney El Refai, 32, travels roughly 5,000 miles each way between Sweden and California for short-term shifts that fund months of living costs. She has built a following online, with more than 20,000 followers across social platforms, and a viral clip in which she details the realities of juggling two homes. In the video titled "The not-so-glamorous life of dual living," El Refai describes the nine-hour time difference, constant airport hops, and the feeling of never fully belonging to either country.

Super-commuters such as El Refai are part of a growing trend of professionals who regularly hop planes or trains between cities, spending large sums on travel but sometimes netting a bigger salary or more favorable taxes. Among the anecdotal cases: Kyle Rice, an EMS software developer who commutes from New Castle, Delaware, to Manhattan, shelling out more than $1,500 a month on transit while earning a six-figure income; Kaitlin Jay, an Upper West Side hairdresser who makes roughly 600-mile trips between NYC and Charlotte, North Carolina, at a monthly travel cost around $1,000; and El Refai, who reports about $450 per round-trip for her European-to-U.S. flights. When she’s in California, she works 10 days at a Bay Area hospital, renting a room for $50 per night from a colleague.

El Refai and her husband moved to Sweden in December to raise their child in what Business Insider described as a "happy" place. Their Swedish apartment costs less than $1,500 a month, and they mostly rely on public transit instead of owning a car. When she returns to the U.S. for work, she spends 10 days covering a cluster of shifts; off-work time in Sweden is used to rest, handle family life, and plan future moves. She says the Bay Area salary is high enough to justify taxes in both countries, and that after 10 days of work, she can cover several months of Swedish bills.

The jet-setting routine has its critics, but El Refai says the trade-offs can be worth it. "It is financially worth it because the salary in the Bay Area is just so high, and the cost of living in Sweden is a lot less than…California," she said in a viral TikTok vid. "When I work for 10 days straight, it’s basically enough money to cover a few months of bills in Sweden." She concedes that the commute is "absolutely outrageous," but says the work-life balance it offers is a prime perk. "Imagine having six weeks off after working 10 days on a repeated pattern," said El Refai in the post. "That is something that no 9-to-5 job will ever give me."

For the California stretches, El Refai rents a room for about $50 per night from a colleague, a detail that illustrates the daily living costs that come with a bi-continental schedule. The couple’s move to Sweden also reflects a broader desire for a family-friendly environment, even as the chemistry of two homes continues to shape her daily life. Taxes, housing, and travel all factor into her decision-making, but she argues that the financial calculus can still tilt toward continuing the pattern.

Experts note that this kind of arrangement is increasingly common among professionals who balance high-earning roles with the flexibility to live where they want. The idea of a permanent home giving way to a rotating set of bases is not entirely new, but the scale and visibility of cases like El Refai’s highlight a cultural shift in work-life planning. For families and individuals who can sustain the logistics, the payoff is a unique mix of career opportunity and personal mobility.

As more workers weigh the cost-benefit of long-haul commutes, the story of El Refai suggests a future where cross-border work arrangements are not just a policy issue for employers and tax authorities, but a personal and social phenomenon shaping the way people design their lives. The trend remains a topic of debate among policymakers, employers, and workers who weigh the value of steady income against the strain of time zones, travel fatigue, and a home that never fully feels permanent.