Moving Abroad A Few Tips
In a few short weeks my life is going to become a whirlwind of activity.My husband will finally be through with his two year remote tour. His homecoming is something we've been looking forward to for what feels like an eternity and that alone is enough to get all of us excited and create a bit of chaos in our day to day lives.However when you add on moving our entire family from Miami to Italy one's life can easily go from a tad bit chaotic to a downright tornado!The key to not having your life spin out of control with any relocation is to be organized.This article on planning your first relocation offers some excellent advice like scoping out the area and checking classifieds for rentals in advance of your move.I've been doing this since almost the moment I found out we'd be relocating to Italy. Doing so has allowed me to figure out exactly what we'll be able to afford as well as how far our money will go. It's also given me some practice in the Dollar to Euro conversion rate when trying to figure things out like cost of living etc.In the Air Force most families PCS during the summer, but we're moving in late Winter early Spring so availability of homes was an initial concern of mine. However, since I've been checking the classifieds regularly since about August I'm reassured that there will be plenty of potential homes for us to choose from.It's been my experience that people not in the military generally think that the government picks up the tab for our move. Though they do cover the cost of moving and other expenses we still need to make sure we have the money to move and any other unexpected expenses that may come up. We'll also need to pay for hotel rooms, food, and travel expenses from airports. Yes many of this will be reimbursed, but one must have the money upfront.Being organized and understanding how long things can take to get done is also important. I'm going to have to organize our movers from two locations (our storage locker) and where we've been living with my in-laws.Because movers will typically pack anything I need to be prepared when they come and have the rooms they are to pack ready to go. I've already gone through my boys' closets and cleared away any clothes they've outgrown. I'll eliminate more clothing prior to our moving day.In the military and for most people moving (especially overseas) we've needed special documents from passports to visas. I'll also need a power of attorney to "be in charge" of our move since my husband will still be in South Korean when the movers come. Keeping track of all of the things I'll need and will have to do can feel daunting, but with detailed lists and having things organized well in advance I'm hopeful that things will go smoothly.
As someone who has moved quite a bit here are my five tips for a successful move.
1. To Do Lists are Your BFFThere is so much to remember with a move. From transferring or cancelling utilities to small things like going away celebrations with friends. Having an ongoing list helps keep you organized and on task.2. Investigate your new cityAs I mentioned earlier researching the housing market is important, but it doesn't hurt to check out the neighborhoods in your new city, or in the case of a move abroad, learning about the culture, history, or even to begin studying up on a new language. All these things I've done, I've even begun studying for a new drivers license! It also doesn't hurt to look into cell phone carriers and banking.When it Rome folks! When in Rome!3. Keep, Trash, Donate.These three words so simple, so important. Before the movers come or you begin packing moving is the perfect opportunity to rid your life of things you just don't use, won't need in you new home, or quite frankly is just useless junk taking up space. This is also a good time to consider how long you're going to be with out your items once packed. If it's more than a few days or in my case up to 12 weeks packing can be daunting. It's my mission however to go with as little as possible. I just don't want to lug around so much stuff -however I know this is probably not the most prudent thing to do. However TLF (temporary living facilities) on base will have things like pots and pans and essential house hold items so I won't have to worry.4. Document, document, documents!In the military especially an official move means lots of paperwork which seems to double exponentially for every family member when that move is take the military member abroad. From medical clearance, to schools, to your vehicle. Keeping track of all of these documents is important. As not having one can really put a fork into your plans. However even if your move isn't a military one there is still bound to be paperwork, making sure you know what you need and where it is when you need it is crucial.5. Breathe.Moving is stressful. If you've managed to stay organized and things are going smoothly and even if their not-which let's face it, even the most organized of relocation is bound to have a few kinks. Try not to stress. Enjoy this adventure. Good and bad.love & becoming an expat,nicōle
We're Moving to Italy!
A few posts back I dropped a few hints...I can't believe I was able to keep a lid on it for this long!We're moving to Italy!
Four years of high school Italian and 3 semesters in college -I hope I'll do Mrs. Revilla proud!
Van O' Stuff
We didn't get to bed last night till sometime after 3am this morning. As I write this (from my iPhone) I'm sitting in ourvan with my boys outside of my husband's building while he's out-processed and debriefed. We didn't get to bed till the weehours because my husband was busy packing up this Honda for our Odyssey to Miami.
The stuff is packed in tighter than sardines. Yet we still manage to have a bunch of stuff still in our apartment. So far this morning we went to rent a car only to decide once there that it would actually be smarter and more economical to ship our extra stuff. To clarify why we have so much extra stuff when the movers were in our apartment packing up our things last week is because I decided that there were some things I could not trust to them. You may wonder if it was my jewelry, television, or prized scrapbooks? Nope. It was four boxes of my favorite books and my computer and laptops. It is because of these items and a few other incidentals (5 suitcases) that we're in this crazy-hectic-and-mostly-stressed-out scenario. We wanted an Olea Family Adventure and once this van is unpacked and repacked we'llbe on our way. Yes, we are nothing if not thorough. We're like the Griswalds-only cuter!
I'm Going Home...
I can't believe in less than a month we'll be on our way "home".
Miami is where we (my husband and I) grew up and ultimately it's the place we still think of as home. Even though we've not lived there since we were married nearly ten years ago.I've got so much to do. I haven't started packing yet. We just moved into our current residence last September and the very thought of packing up and moving again is daunting-especially around the holidays. I am focusing on the positive, (if you don't know this about me I am nauseatingly optimistic) I am very happy we managed to get our home sold this summer-so we're not having to deal with that stress-now that we have real live official orders. Most of our stuff is still in storage so what I will have to pack up will very much like a warm Spring breeze off of the Biscayne Bay instead of like tropical storm force winds.There is a very small...minute really, problem.I'm not exactly sure how I feel about living in Miami again.That's not to say that I'm not happy my boys and I are able to be in Miami with family and friends while my husband is off on the other side of the world, serving a two year remote tour. It's just that it's Miami. It's a wonderful city in so many ways and in a thousand others it's not. On the top of my reasons why it's not the greatest place to live. Miamians tend to be rude. And as I'm sure you know rude people suck. My friends tell me Miami has changed in many ways-unfortunately the people haven't become politer.I'm not going to let that get me down though. Nope. Not I. I'm going to be back in Miami-the shopping and food alone are reasons to put a smile on my face. Add in the fact that I will get some time to my self now and again (we'll be staying with my in-laws which is the equivalent to a live in babysitter and chef). I will get to spend some much needed girl time with my good friends, I'll get to take my little cousins (who aren't so little by the way) out and at the top of my list- I will get to spend spend lots and lots and lots of time with my grandmother-which definitely puts big smile on my face and is way better than all of the awesome shopping...and food!love and salsa music,
P.S. Consider yourselves forewarned...Once I am back in Miami I can't promise you that I won't write in Spanglish.
Tips to Making Moving Easy (er)
We're almost all moved. I'm exhausted. But happy that the house is sold and we're closing the door and opening a new one. I have to say I'm going to miss our little house and this small town but such is the life when you're in the military. When you're in the military you also get really good at moving. I thought this would be a great time to put together a few tips I've learned along the way to making moving as easy as possible.
Pre-Move
- Plan. Plan. Plan. I love to make "to do" lists. This comes in handy when you're moving. Being organized goes a long way in preventing headaches and fights between you and your spouse, room mates etc.
- Gather up the supplies you'll need. Boxes, tape, markers, bubble wrap etc.
- If you know you've got a few weeks until your move out day you can start sorting though your items and organizing closets. If you're in the middle of the summer you're not going to need your skis or snow boots any time soon. You can start packing up non-essential item
Packing
- Packing well is important as it will prevent your stuff from getting broken in the move. This is especially important if you've got a long move ahead of you-cross country, over seas etc.
- Start with non-essential items. Out of season gear, home decor (frames on the wall, knick-knacks etc.)
- While your packing up the rooms in your house its a good time to clear away the clutter and create boxes for donation or the trash.
- Don't pack things that are dirty or dusty. That's gross. I always like to clean my porcelain, or anything that can collect dust prior to packing. I use a gentle dish soap like Gain (Yes! Gain -the same company that makes laundry detergent now has dish soap! It comes in three great scents. Trust me. You won't mind the extra cleaning because it smells yummy and why bring dusty stuff into your new house?
Moving Day
- Get up bright and early. Have a good breakfast and dress comfortably.
- If you're using movers or have enlisted the help of relatives and friends it's a good idea to have drinks and snacks on hand. Happy helpers who aren't having blood sugar issues are much less likely to drop the box labeled "fragile" of your great-grandmother's china.
- Don't try to move anything heavy on your own. A hurt back does not make for a happy move.
- Rest. Eat lunch and try to take a few moments to enjoy the day.
Kids & MovingIf you have children enlist their help. Have them pack up their own "special box" with stuff they're going to want right away when they get to their new home. If you have an older child make sure you talk to them about their feelings on the move. I always play up the move as an adventure and it helps. Trust Me.Photo: weheartit.com*P&G provided me with free product (Gain), bubbles, t-shirts, and gift cards through MyBlogSpark.
Porch Swing
We've got an offer on our home. I'm happy-I really am but it's bittersweet. We've made many good memories here and I'm going to be a little sad to say good-bye. My husband wants us to move into an apartment and I'd rather rent another townhouse-but he may be going to Korea and if he does we're going to go back to Florida for the year he's gone so getting into a long term lease isn't ideal at the moment.I am looking forward to moving and starting fresh someplace new.I also know that one day I'll have a home with a porch swing that looks out onto a lovely garden.