Welcome to the Pretty Little Grind Blog!
My name is Natalie West. I am a 27-year-old online English teacher living abroad.
My boyfriend and I live the tropical paradise of Nicaragua while we wait for his fiancée visa to be approved. America here we come! We have spent the last three years moving from Nicaragua to Spain and back again while traveling to several other countries (England, France, and Italy, to name a few!).

It’s been an exciting period of my life filled with adventure and spontaneity. Yet, as we prepare for our transition to America, I’ve found myself craving different things from life: stability, routine, and organization.
You see, I’m what you might call a hot mess.
In photos, my travel lifestyle looks like a dream, but on paper, it’s a different story!
I haven’t tracked my spending in years.
Investing is a mystery to me.
The workout programs I endlessly purchase are never finished.
My morning routine is non-existent.
The days pass as I scramble from one menial task to another, hoping I complete some important task.
Most of my hobbies have fallen to the wayside of social media scrolling.
I’ve decided it’s finally time to change all this.
I know I am capable of so much more. An abundance of knowledge, stamina, and perseverance is waiting to come out and play.

This blog will be both the catalyst and proof of my growth – my accountability partner, if you will!
For now, I have decided on three topics to focus on: personal finance, productivity/organization, and health/wellness.
Call it what you want – a lifestyle blog or a self-improvement project (I guess some combination of the two?).
Whatever it is, I’m glad to welcome you along for the ride and into my upside-down life!