She was paid to move to a new state. One year later, she's thriving in Georgia.

"Althea McBride's Georgia home is an "Afro boho" oasis. Her living room and hallway walls are painted black, acting as a dramatic background to her many African sculptures and art. The dining room's burnt orange walls are decorated with vinyl records like Aretha Franklin's "Knew You Were Waiting: The Best Of Aretha Franklin 1980-1998" to Kendrick Lamar's "GNX." It's been a year since McBride bought her home, and outside a few hiccups, like a wasp infestation and disputes over property lines, "

""I used Canva to help design some of it before I even moved into the house, just by looking online at the pictures that they had on Zillow," McBride told Business Insider. "I was able to download those and remodel it how I wanted. So my living room is exactly how I pictured it." What she couldn't picture years ago was being a homeowner."

Althea McBride bought a home in Columbus, Georgia, and styled it as an Afro-boho oasis with black living room walls and burnt-orange dining room accents. She used Canva and Zillow images to plan and replicate her vision before moving in. A $5,000 cash incentive and perks from a Columbus remote-worker program helped make the move feasible. McBride left Los Angeles seeking a slower pace and lower costs. She has navigated minor issues like a wasp infestation and property-line disputes and now enjoys decorating, homeownership, and adapting to Southern culture.

Read at Business Insider