Cassie Villela

Cassie moved to Uruguay with her husband and two elementary-aged children after Texas became a dangerous place for their transgender kid. Since then, they’ve found Uruguay to be a safe and comfortable place for their family.

Cassie works as a public school teacher in Montevideo, and both kids attend the neighborhood public school (and are learning Spanish so quickly!). She’s navigated multiple aspects of the healthcare system, immigration, renting an apartment and setting up utilities, obtaining a local job, voting and paying taxes from abroad, getting special education interventions for her kids, and all other parts of an international move.

Cassie can provide country-specific information, as well as more personalized advice about the unique challenges of moving abroad with children. She can also advise about the legal protections, guaranteed medical care, and general cultural attitudes for LGBTQ+ individuals. Cassie and her husband speak Spanish, so they’ve already built a community in Uruguay.