8 Golden Rules To Follow if you’re Moving Country
Let’s face it: moving can be very stressful, especially if you do not know anything about your future house. This sense of uncertainty can affect many aspects of everyday life. Having lived in more than fourteen homes across the globe in the past six years, moving country is definitely an area in which I can offer some advice.
How will life in the new neighborhood, city, or country look to you? When will you be able to unpack and put all your stuff in order? Will your sizeable American sofa fit in a tiny living room in Central London? This last one was actually one of my biggest concerns when I relocated from Chicago to London, and it caused me a lot of stress! An international move is even more difficult since you have to understand all the differences between your country of origin and the one you are moving to.
There are many factors to consider before making the jump to move. My friend Emilia (sorry for mentioning you in a public space!) is considering moving and asked me many questions about what to do. I didn’t have enough time to go into detail covering everything she needed to find out before choosing whether or not to leave. That’s why, with Emilia in mind, I made a list of 8 golden rules that she and everyone else in a similar situation can follow to make a well-considered decision.
1. Research and understand
Whether you know that you are moving for sure or are just considering changing the country to seek better opportunities, my first piece of advice is to do as much research as you can about every single aspect of daily life in the new country/town you are thinking of moving to. Try to understand how the system works, especially in terms of healthcare (I can assure you that for a European, the U.S. system is truly another world), school and education (necessary if you have kids), residential rental fees, or real estate prices, everything that we can define as a cost of living, including food.
2. Compare and contrast living costs
Once you have done your research, you can now compare and contrast the economic differences between the place you want to leave and the place you want to go. In other words, you have to sit down and do the math! For each location, write down how much you spend on your basic expenses and how much you save on a weekly or on a monthly base. My friend Emilia used to have a wonderful Excel spreadsheet that helped her calculate these numbers really easily. Include transportation costs (fuel, car insurance, public transportation pass), mortgage or rent, bills, food, insurance, travel and do not forget the expenses for clothes! This part can be particularly important if you are thinking of moving to a place with completely different weather conditions. If you are living somewhere with a mild climate and you are moving to a place where the winters are freezing, you’ll need to buy the right garments to protect yourself from glacial temperatures (the contrary is true if moving from a cold climate to a tropical one — maybe more enjoyable!).
3. Plan your moving budget
Moving is expensive. That’s why you need to plan your budget to limit the potentially exorbitant cost of an international or domestic move. The total cost depends on several aspects. Are you going to move all the stuff inside your house, including furniture, or will you be moving only a few pieces? Or are you just bringing a suitcase with your clothes? Are you planning to move with your taxable goods? Add these costs to your spreadsheet (see point 2), and move to the next step.
4. Decide
If you have done the math, you have a list of financial pros and cons of leaving or staying. Now it’s time to ask yourself a few questions: Why do I want to leave? Am I going to get a better quality of life? All these questions are right and might help you to make a thoughtful decision. As with many situations in life, not everything can be linear or scientifically calculated. I have moved several times to follow the man I am in love with, and the math does not apply to this case. This is why my recommendation is: think about all the aspects you have written down and move anyway! Yes, do it, because is it going to be exciting and enriching, however stressful.
5. Choose a moving company
Well done with your choice! But please do yourself a favor and choose a moving company, unless you are just bringing a suitcase. During this phase, you need to pick the moving company which best suits your needs. For instance, if you own lots of art, you can find a removal company which specializes in handling valuable objects. Contact the ones you like the look of (look at their websites, ask for recommendations since word-of-mouth can be better than anything else) and ask for a consultation. When the moving companies come to see your place, ask them as many questions as you can, wait for their quotes, and then choose. This is not the area to try and save money — invest in a professional company to avoid disappointment and potentially a great deal of hassle.
6. Travel lightly (you will love shopping in your new country!)
Our lives are made up of wonderful memories, and that’s why we still have a stash of letters from our childhood best friend and t-shirts from all of the places we traveled to in our 20s (my husband is guilty of this, and I am pretty sure he is not alone!). Isn’t our ability to preserve personal keepsakes beautiful? Yes, it is. But we do not need to keep everything from our glorious past. A move is a beautiful occasion to help local charities, donating unwanted clothes and furniture that you do not want to bring with you. Plus it’s the best declutter occasion you can ever have. And yes, once settled in your new country you will be so curious to explore that shopping will be part of your new adventure!
7. Stay curious and open
Once you have arrived in your host country, you might be shocked by all the differences between the new place and your country of origin. Differences can be in every aspect of daily life, from the taste of fresh vegetables to the public transportation system. And differences are huge even within Western countries. You might miss how things taste or work in your own country, but do not dwell on this — get out instead! Explore the local grocery store and try some new foods, walk down the street and smell the aromas, see what people are wearing and talking about. Stay curious and have your mind open to accept the differences.
8. Experience the awe
With your mind open, you will able to see everything around you with a fresh perspective. This freedom to think and discover will lead you to enjoy your new life in your host country. This open state of mind is the key to allowing you to surpass the culture shock and open all the doors to integration. In this transitional phase, you will be profoundly uplifted by what your host country has to offer. And the more you travel and move abroad, the deeper you will experience the awe in this world.
