✈️ She Commutes from Sweden to San Francisco — Just to Work as a Nurse!
She’s a nurse, a mom… and a globe-trotting commuter?! Meet the woman who flies 5,000 miles from Sweden to San Francisco every six weeks — just to work. Find out why she’s doing it, what she earns, and how she makes it all work. You won’t believe this hustle!
7/15/20251 min read
Some of us complain about a 30-minute commute. But what if your “daily grind” meant hopping on a plane for a 5,000-mile journey just to clock in?
Meet Courtney El Refai — a neonatal ICU nurse who lives in Sweden but works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Every six weeks, Courtney leaves her home in Knivsta (just outside Stockholm), kisses her partner and toddler goodbye, and boards an international flight to California.
Once she lands? It’s go time. She works eight to ten shifts back-to-back at the hospital before flying home for some extended family time. Her schedule is flexible, her contract is per-diem, and her pay? $116 an hour. Not too shabby for a “part-time” gig.
So why not just work in Sweden? Courtney says the Swedish nursing certification process is super slow, and until that’s finalized, she’s sticking with her U.S. license — and her U.S. paycheck. 💰
Yes, it’s grueling. There’s jet lag. There’s mom guilt. There’s even some eco-guilt from the frequent flights. But for now, it works. And honestly? Major respect.
So next time you're stuck in traffic or whining about your commute... just remember: someone out there is flying across the Atlantic just to start their shift.
Would you ever commute 5,000 miles for your dream job? Let us know — hit us up on socials @DexAndBarbieT!