11 Things to Do Before You Move Abroad
So you may not know this, but I’m a serial expat. I just moved abroad for the second time and am happily settling into my new home here in Beirut, Lebanon. The first time I moved abroad was to Italy a few years ago, and I have definitely learned a lot from both of my international moves.
Organization is obviously a big step when it comes to your move, but there are plenty of other things you shouldn’t neglect. Keep reading for 11 Things to Do Before You Move Abroad
Start Downsizing Before You Move
If you know you are planning a big move, you need to start downsizing as soon as possible. It can be overwhelming, but the secret is getting through it bit by bit. I’m far from a minimalist, so trust me when I say I packed way more stuff than necessary.
You know I had to look cute, have my travel clothes, have my toiletries and all that! But I did strategically get rid of things that I knew would no longer fit my lifestyle. I may do a whole video later on what I kept vs what I tossed, but please do yourself a favor and start getting rid of stuff.
If you are planning early you can sell on Poshmark or LetGo and actually make some money, but if it’s the last minute just be prepared to donate or dump it! And unless you have friends or family you can leave stuff with, don’t bother putting stuff into long-term storage. It is such a waste of money and most likely you will come back home years later and throw the bulk of it away.
Get Your Annual Health Check-Ups
Get all those medical check-ups done, and make sure you start a few months before you plan to leave. If you unfortunately do find out something is wrong, you need to have enough time to learn more, have follow up visits or get treatment, so don’t wait until the last minute!
That means your annual physical, well women’s exam, eye doctor, ear doctor - get everything checked out and have a clean bill of health!
And whatever your opinions on vaccines are , you should be aware of any required or recommended vaccines for the country you plan to move to and be informed of the risks you may encounter if you don’t want to get a vaccine that is recommended in that region.
Stock Up on Medications/Medical Supplies
If you have any prescribed medications with monthly refills, talk to your provider about getting 6 months or even 12 months of refills to take with you. Depending on where you are moving to, you may want to bring a stash of over the counter stuff as well, like Tylenol, cold medicine, motion sickness meds, that kind of stuff, especially if you have strong brand preferences and don’t want to experiment with what you can get locally.
And don’t forget contacts, or glasses if you wear them and retainers if need be.
I did Smile Direct Club and made sure to get extra retainers to take with me. They take about 6 weeks to make, without shipping time, so I wanted to make sure I had extra sets on hand, because your teeth will start shifting like crazy real quick. I also have a shellfish allergy so picked up some extra Epi-Pens because anyone with allergies should always have one on hand!
And ladies, don’t forget your birth control or Plan B! You don’t want to get caught out there needing to find that in a foreign country in the very short window you have
Shop for Country Specific Attire - especially formalwear
Most people are surprised to hear I hate shopping so this was hard for me! But I did need to pick up some new clothes and shoes that were more appropriate for where I’m moving, especially clothes for work.
You should also have a few options for formalwear in case you get invited to something last minute and need something to wear. The US has amazing options for affordable evening wear, but that is really not the case in most parts of the world.
If I get invited to a wedding, cocktail party, or formal event here, I can always run to Macy’s, Nordstrom, or just order something from Rent the Runway and get it in 2 days. But you may not have that option depending on where you are moving to, so be prepared!
Beauty Treatments & Touch Ups
Some countries are known for the beauty treatments you can get there, but you still may want to get polished up at your favorite place back home. I got microblading about a year and a half ago, so I made sure to get a touch-up so it would be fresh and stay in place longer.
I also got a laser hair removal because you can’t get that done just anywhere and I wasn’t trying to experiment like that, especially because a lot of these places are not experienced with people of color and different skin tones.
Back Up Your Vital records
This is going to be a long and annoying process, but you need to start keeping digital copies of any important documents. I had a ridiculous file cabinet with paperwork from years ago that needed to be organized, digitized and then shredded.
It took a few days for me to get everything uploaded in the cloud, but now I have a digital record of anything I might need while living abroad. You may need paperwork for visa applications, leasing an apartment, opening a bank account, or any number of normal life scenarios that will arise when you move to a new country, and you don’t want to have to scramble around at the last minute to find stuff.
And you definitely don’t want to lug pounds of old paper around with you every time you move! Not only is it incredibly annoying, but it’s also risky having your personal information so easily accessible.
Check with Your Local Embassy
How many times have you guys traveled internationally? How many times did you check with the local Embassy or State Department Travel Advisory before planning your trip? Most people don’t! But get in the habit of reviewing security updates, especially if you are thinking about moving to a new country! That’s also the best way to get an covid related updates, like if you are staying in a country that suddenly imposes a curfew or quarantine, you may not hear it fast enough if you don’t check local news.
Also check out the STEP program or any services that may be offered by the local embassy or consulate, in case you do need emergency assistance while abroad. I’m going to leave those links in the description box below for easy reference!
Get Travel Adaptors
This may seem super obvious, when I moved to Italy I definitely forgot one. And it was such an obvious thing that I assumed yea I packed a few, duh! So I land in Italy, make it to my apartment, try to charge my phone, and yea, nothing.
Had I realized that at the airport it probably would have been fine, but I ended up spending my first afternoon in a suburb of Bologna looking for a place to buy an adapter - and not speaking a word of Italian. Don’t be like me - have a travel adapter - preferably one or 2 in each bag!
Get Local Currency in Advance
Yes, you can always exchange money when you land, but in the spirit of being prepared, do it a few days before! If you have time go to a currency exchange in your city before your departure since you’ll usually get a better rate. Or if you must do it before boarding your flight while at the airport.
Just don’t land in a foreign country with no money, assuming you’ll be able to take money out of an ATM or exchange when you get there. Of course in most cases you will be able to do either, but I prefer to arrive in the country with a small emergency stash of local currency in cash! It really just needs to be enough to cover 2 meals and a taxi so don’t think you need to bring a ton. But you don’t want to put yourself in a stressful situation if you don’t have to.
Pre book Your Transportation
Most of the time on vacation, I hop out of the airport and grab an Uber or regular taxi, but moving abroad is a whole different ball game. You’ll be exhausted and have a lot more stuff, so make your life easier by pre-arranging an airport pick-up.
It doesn’t have to be a fancy luxury one, but will be a huge convenience to not have to figure out how you are getting to your new home when you land.
Buy Your Favorite DVD’s
This one is kind of random but one thing I learned from living in Italy, and in my research for where we are moving to next. Streaming services can be unreliable, your streaming speed may be annoyingly slow, and most shows or movies have different licensing agreements, so they may not even be available in your new country.
It’s a little old fashioned, but we picked up DVD copies of a few of the movies we can watch over and over again, just to have something on hand in case we have issues with streaming or are bored to death with the local shows.
Hope these tips helped! If you are thinking about moving internationally, let me know in the comments, especially if you have more questions you want me to answer.
