10 Things You Must Do in Preparation for a Move Abroad
As I began wrapping my head around my move to Venezuela, I found there were a few tips that I needed to remind myself of in order to maintain a sense of calm. Here they are in no particular order:
1) Actively work on keeping your sanity. This would be a good time figure out how you can best do this – meditation, medication, exercise – whatever gets you through the day.
2) Make sure your passports are current.
3) Make sure you have the appropriate paperwork submitted (i.e. visas, work permits, etc.). The best place to find this information is the country’s consulate or embassy.
4) Breathe – it’s amazing how easily this can be forgotten.
5) Research local/international schools (if applicable).
6) Get you medical papers current and check to see if any immunizations are required (this information can be found at the State Department).
7) Breathe – as you can see, this tip is very important.
8) Book your flight. Find out if it works best to get a one way ticket, open-ended or round trip with a much later date. I find that most airlines have different policies.
9) Pack – this may cause you to refer back to tips #4 and #7.
10) Research any newcomers’ clubs that may be able to show you the ropes when you get there.
Did I leave anything out?
Photo credits: Boxes, boxes, boxes by audreythebug and Travel by fdecomite
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Tags: Expatriates, Moving Abroad, Moving Tips, Packing
I would suggest you might need some cold weather clothes (for travel around South America or for rainy seasons if there isn't any indoor central heat). Stock up on underwear and socks you like, as ones you like might be hard to find in the new location. Perhaps take your favorite bed pillows. Take two tubes of favorite toothpaste and a couple bottles of favorite shampoo to get you started. If you can't find tampons at the supermarket, they are probably sold in the pharmacy. Check out if the electricity and plugs are the same, if not take TRANSFORMERS (you can now get them on line at Amazon). Best of luck!
Great tips, Mary!
The electricity is the first thing I looked up. It's easy enough to get transformers ahead of time – that is, if you know their needed. I definitely stocked up on all beauty/hygiene products for myself and the kids. It helped that I came for a visit and October, so I got a good idea about prices and availability of my frequently used items. I may eventually be able to find them cheaper at other places, but you're right, this is not something I want to be trying to do in my first few months.