Tips for Moving Internationally

Moving Internationally

Before moving internationally, there are many things to consider that can help you have a smooth move and transition into your new country. 

The first thing to determine, which could affect many aspects of your move, is the reason for moving and how long you will stay in your new home. Are you moving indefinitely, temporarily for a job or any other reason? This could help you decide what lengths to go to when moving all of your personal belongings. If moving indefinitely, will it be more cost effective to sell what you can and start over upon arrival? If you will be back in a set amount of time will you store your belongings? Shipping belongings is an option in either scenario, but comes with a price. 

The biggest thing to consider when deciding what to ship or bring with you and what to leave or sell is electricity. Many countries do not function with corresponding outlets or hookups. You can buy a converter, but it will probably be more cost effective to buy the item so it is compatible with your new outlets or hookups. 

Other important things to consider and plan for before moving can include

Transportation - Does your new city utilize public transportation? Would that be sufficient for your needs? Will you ship your car? Do you know the regulations for obtaining a new license?

Communication - Will you be able to use your current cell phone? Will it be more cost efficient to make your current cell phone plan international or to set up a new plan with a new carrier once you get there?

Health - Are you up to date on your immunizations? Many countries require certain immunizations before traveling or moving there. Make sure you and everyone in your moving party is up to date. Where will you receive health care in your new country? Will it be covered by your current insurance? Will you need new insurance upon arrival? Consult a travel clinic or infectious disease specialist for more personalized information. 

Currency and Banking - Do you know the exchange rate? Will you need the currency before you get there or will you plan on using your credit card or other form of payment until you reach your new home? Make sure to notify your credit card company that you will have upcoming international transactions. Where will you bank? Is your bank currently international? Will you need to find a new bank?

Language - Will you have to learn a new language? Is your current language nationally recognized and spoken? If you have to learn a new language, will you try and learn some of it beforehand? Check out classes through your local community or invest in an online language learning course to help prepare.

Weather - What is the current climate in the country you are moving to? Does the country have different weather patterns from your current one? You may need to invest in some new clothing such as coats and scarves. Reversely, you could downsize and get rid of current clothes if you are moving somewhere where they aren’t needed. For example, if you move somewhere warm year round, you may not need your heavy winter coats. 

Income and Cost of Living - If you are moving for work, will your pay change? Do you know how much you need to afford to live? How much will the margin change between cost of living and income? Will you need to change other aspects of your budget to afford it? 

Passports and Visas - Do you know the regulations for traveling and moving to your new country? Does everyone in your party have proper and current documentation? This is not a step you want to leave for the last minute. 

There are many things to consider when moving internationally, and these are only a few of the basic ones. For more information, embassy websites are a great resource.

Once you've decided to move it's time to start getting Moving Supplies.

This Guest Post was written by Christine Fleming

Christine Fleming grew up in Rochester, Minnesota. She attended Brigham Young University-Idaho and studied Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations. She now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah and works as a Clinical Research Assistant at the University of Utah. She enjoys running and baking in her spare time.

Two Man Movers and Storage was started in 1998 by two brother with one truck helping move families and businesses in Heber City, Utah.  Since then, Two Man Movers has successfully grown to be one of the top moving companies in the Salt Lake City area.

http://www.twomanmovers.com/

1,000 Free Vacations to Military Families

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Westgate Resorts is honoring U.S. military personnel who have and continue to serve our country by giving away 1,000 free vacations to those military members and their families at the company’s most recently renovated property, Westgate River Ranch Resort, a Florida-cowboy themed destination resort and the largest dude ranch east of the Mississippi.  This is the fourth year in a row that Westgate has honored our nation’s heroes with free vacations, and this current offer will bring the total to over 3,500 military families served by this program.

Eligible service members may call in to receive a complimentary three day, two night vacation during the week (Sunday through Thursday) at the Westgate River Ranch Resort located just one hour south of Orlando and one hour west of Tampa. 

To be eligible, military must have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and/or The War on Terror. (Service dates of 9/11/2001 through today).

• Other past U.S. military members are eligible for the ranch’s military rate, which offers a savings of 25 percent on room rates.  

• The first 1,000 eligible military members who call will receive the complimentary stay.  The offer is only available by phone by calling 1-800-887-9312.

About Westgate River Ranch

Rooted in the history of the nation’s first cowboys, Westgate River Ranch lies on 1,700 lush acres in the heart of Florida’s cattle lands and is surrounded by approximately 400,000 acres of state and federally protected wetlands. The ranch offers Florida cowboy-themed accommodations, ranging from campgrounds to Glamping (glamorous camping); tents to two-bedroom cabins.  Westgate River Ranch boasts a multitude of recreational activities, including horseback riding, swimming, golf, a petting farm, nature hikes, trap and skeet shooting, mechanical bull, hayrides, cookouts and a full-service marina complete with boating, and fishing, and airboat and swamp buggy rides. Westgate River Ranch also features a 5,000-foot paved and lighted runway, award-winning Smokehouse Grill, River Ranch Saloon and the longest-running Saturday night championship rodeo in the United States, featuring trick riding, bull riding, calf roping and barrel racing at a 1,200-seat rodeo arena. A herd of grazing buffalo and Watusi cattle (known for their long, distinctive horns) makes its home at Westgate River Ranch. 

*Terms & Conditions: Offer valid as of November 8, 2013, at 9am EST. Offer available by phone ONLY. Valid Sundays – Thursdays ONLY. Based on availability. A credit card is required to book the reservation. Credit card will not be charged. Only ONE reservation per family. Offer valid for the first 1,000 reservations. Must travel before October 31, 2014. Free Room Type for Westgate River Ranch: Lodge Suite, Lodge Guest Room, Deluxe Lodge Suite and Glamping Tent Only. No Resort Preview Required. Not valid for Westgate employees. Upgrades are available for a minimal fee. Additional night(s) will receive 10% off of “Best Available Rate”. Blackout dates: Nov 18, 2013, Dec 5, 2013, Dec 25-26, 2013, Dec 31, 2013 – Jan 1, 2014, Feb 11-12, 2014, Mar 9-11, 2014, May 25-26, 2014, Oct 6-19, 2014. Other blackout dates may apply.

2013 Veteran's Day Freebies and Discounts

Veteran’s Day is a great time to get a free meal because lots of restaurants offer freebies to active duty and retirees. 

We usually go over to McCormick and Schmick’s because they have a free meal for vets and a special menu that the rest of the family can order off of. This reduces the cost of eating there, making it affordable for a military family. Unfortunately this year we won’t be going to McCormick and Schmick’s because my husband is on alert that day. Oh well. I must say though, now that Abuelo's is participating we would probably go there instead. It's my most favorite restaurant.

For all of you that can go out grab the freebies here’s a list. Keep in mind that restaurant chains advise calling ahead to specific locations, because not all franchises honor the specials offered by their parent organizations.

FREE FOOD

Abuelo's Mexican Food -- Offers vary by region. (I highly recommend checking into this, because their food is awesome.)

Applebees -- All veterans and active-duty military eat free from a limited menu on Veterans Day.

Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurants -- Special offers for vets on Veterans Day.

Chili's -- Veterans and service members can dine for free from a special six-item menu on Veterans Day.

Golden Corral -- Military Appreciation Monday includes a free dinner, Nov. 11, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for military retirees, veterans, and current service members.

Famous Dave's -- Offers for free or discounted meals on Veterans Day vary by location.

Hooters -- All veterans and service members get 10 free wings with the purchase of a drink.

Krispy Kreme -- A free donut is available for all service members, retirees and veterans.

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants -- participating McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants are offering a complimentary entree to vets from a special menu on a space-available basis. Online reservations are highly recommended.

Outback Steakhouse -- Outback will offer veterans and military a free Bloomin' Onion and beverage

Olive Garden – A free entrée for active duty members and veterans.

Subway Restaurants -- Free six-inch sub or flatbread available to military vets on Veterans Day.

Texas Roadhouse -- Free meals available to veterans from opening until 4 p.m. on Veterans Day.

T.G.I. Friday's -- Veterans and service members can buy one meal and get another free.

UNO Chicago Grill -- UNO is offering a 19.43 percent discount on food and non-alcoholic beverage beverages to vets and military. The chain explains that 1943 was the year UNO invented the deep dish pizza.

VETERANS DAY RETAIL DEALS

Amazon.com -- A free downloadable MP3 album includes 12 songs performed by Military bands and ensembles from now through Veterans Day.

Build-a-Bear Workshop -- Members of the armed services, including the Coast Guard and ROTC, receive a 20 percent discount on any one transaction at the workshop.

Cabela's Outdoor Store -- Employee discounts are being offered to all veterans, active-duty military and reserve-component troops, along with law-enforcement, fire and emergency-management personnel. Discounts vary from 5 percent to 50 percent, depending on item.

The Dollar General -- Veterans, service members and their immediate families can receive a 10-percent discount with a Veterans Day coupon.

Fashion Bug -- Offering 20 percent off all plus-size and misses clothing purchases with a copy of military ID or spouse's military ID.

Home Depot -- Offers a 10 percent discount to all veterans on Veterans Day.

Home Depot offers a 10 percent discount year-round to active duty military and retirees.

Lowe's -- All veterans receive the 10 percent discount for purchases of up to $5,000. A 10 percent discount is available year-round to active-duty military and retirees.

Seven-Eleven -- On Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., veterans can get a free small Slurpee.

Sports Clips Haircuts -- Offering free haircuts to active-military and veterans.

Free Admission

Oregon Zoo in Portland, OR is offering free admission on Veteran's day to active military.

Military Lodging at Joint Base Pearl Harbor - Hickam

Where can you stay for $55 a night in Hawaii? On a military base of course!

I met up with my husband on his last military tdy, which just happened to be Hawaii. (Yes, I always show up on the really good tdy's!) He was staying on Joint Base Pearl Harbor - Hickam on the Pearl side. You could easily walk over to the Pearl Harbor Memorial from here.

The room had one bed, a chair and a desk. The bathroom had a shower only. The bed was great. I have never actually sleep on a bed at a military lodge that was any good until this trip.
Wifi was available and free.
The rooms have a Keurig B145 OfficePRO Brewing System and they provide tons of coffee pods for it. There was a little fridge and a microwave too.
Also, within walking distance was a full shoppette, McDonalds, Subway, Taco Del Mar, tennis courts, and the brand new gym.

Other military lodging options in Oahu:

• Beach Cabins at Bellows AFB 
• Hale Koa Military Resort on Waikiki

Beach Cabins at Bellows AFB

One of the many military lodgings available in Oahu, Hawaii is Bellows AFB. It's not a five star military resort like the Hale Koa, but it does have it's very own private beach! That was the draw for us. To stay on the beach, in Hawaii, for cheap, and avoid the crowd. Our cabin was a two bedroom and had one bathroom. The cabin was right on the beach on Turtle Cove. Here are some pictures of our cabin.






I was standing inside our cabin when I took this photo.

Until We Hug Again Recordable Bear review

 Going through constant military tdy's and deployments the last few years has really taken a toll on my youngest child. So, I've been trying to come up with ways to make the constant separations more bearable (no pun intended) and that's why I am so in love with this bear from Hallmark right now! It's the Hallmark - Until We Hug Again Recordable Bear. My husband was able to record a special 30 second message for our youngest boy. Every time our son hugs the bear the message plays. My son has carried this bear around with him everywhere and played that message a hundred times. It has helped so much I had to share it on my blog.

I recently saw a $10 off coupon for the bear or bunny in Better Homes and Garden. Also, Hallmark offers a 10% military discount on Tuesdays! 

The opinions expressed above are 100% my own. I bought one of these bears on my own. Hallmark gave me no product to review, nor did they ask for a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” articles

• Win 2 Text Bands - Review and Giveaway
• Inevitable Issues during Deployment and TDY's

Inevitable Issues during Deployment and TDY's

Our fish died today. I should have seen it coming, because my husband left for tdy (temporary duty) a few days ago. It seems like there is some sort of unspoken rule that when your spouse is gone on a tdy or a deployment there are certain things that are going to happen.

First, if your children own a fish, one of them will die. You, the left behind spouse, will get to deal with the crying and sadness. You get to deal with the clean up and all the explanations.

Speaking of explanations, it seems every time dad leaves my son asks a question about sex, puberty, drugs, or some sort of topic "dad" should have to answer. Instead it's me about a week after dad leaves.

Of course, your child's school will have a daddy/daughter dance right in the middle of deployment. This never fails. I swear my kid's school never even had these dances until my husband got deployed.

Also, all of your kids are going to get sick. My kids never get sick and now they are all coughing and congested. More than likely you will get sick to.

If you own your home there is going to be some sort of household problem as well. The first time my husband deployed the toilet broke and it took me about 4 hours of working on it and then eventually calling someone for help to fix it. This time one of the master bathroom sinks is leaking underneath the cabinet. I have no idea what to do about that, so it will just have to wait. Lucky for us we have two sinks, I'll just use the other one.

If you rent a house you might find out that your landlord hasn't paid their mortgage and the house is being foreclosed on and now you get to move houses with out your spouse there to help. You may think that's crazy, but I know multiple people in the military that this has happened to.

Related articles

• 6 Things you should NEVER say to a military spouse
• For My Fellow Military Wives
• When Dad Travels For Business... A Lot

For My Fellow Military Wives

I couldn't resist, this made me laugh so hard. My friends complain all the time about their husbands being gone for a day or a week and I just don't know what to say! It doesn't make me mad or anything, but it is kind of funny. Granted we are having an easy year this year. Hubby has only been gone about three months. He leaves again soon for three weeks, but still it could be way worse. Last year he was gone 7.5 months. I literally don't know how some of my friends do it. Their spouses are gone 12 - 14 months at a time.

Related articles

• 6 Things you should NEVER say to a military spouse (mommytravels.net)
• Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guard and Airmens Club (mommytravels.net)
• Military Lodging at Joint Base Pearl Harbor - Hickam (mommytravels.net)
• Beach Cabins at Bellows AFB (mommytravels.net)

6 Things you should NEVER say to a military spouse

You may have a friend that is married to a person in the military, so here's some things you should never say to a military spouse. I know these all by heart, because people say them to me all the time. Especially #1.

1. You must be great at packing! - Is this an actual compliment? Do you think I take pride in my packing abilities? Do you think I enjoy packing? I have had this said to me in some variation at least 200 times. I will never understand why people say this. I've even had people suggest I become a professional packer or moving consultant. Yes, I went to school and got a degree to become a packer. You complimenting my packing skills does not make me feel better about having to move again.

2. It must be so exciting to see the world! - Yes, that does sound exciting, but my husband has never been stationed outside of the United States. I have however moved all over the country. Mostly to desert like areas, where the air force owns the air spaces and nobody lives. That way no one can complain that the planes are to loud. Instead you should ask me, "Is it fun to live in the middle of nowhere? and "Is it true you get excited if you get to live in a town with a mall?"

3. If mom is happy everyone is happy. - This has been said to me several times by someone close to me. Talk about pressure on one person. Moving is stressful. Getting lost every time you leave the house is frustrating. Your kids reaction to stress is depressing. It is hard to just be happy at moments. Military spouses research their new locations and hit the ground running. I always made it a priority to get me kids some friends as fast as possible. If this meant sitting through mom groups where no one ever spoke to me, then that's what I did.

4. I don't know if I want my kids to make friends with your kids, because you are going to move away. - This is probably one of the statements that cut deepest. I've only had it said to me twice, but it always made me wonder are other people thinking the same thing. Ironically one of those people moved away before we did and they were not military.

5. Your life right now with your husband being deployed is no different then my wife taking care of things while I'm at work.  - Where to even begin on this one. Your at work, my husband is deployed to a hazard zone. I went four days last week not hearing from him once. I went a month straight without one break from all three of my kids at the same time. Last year my husband was gone for 7.5 months. This year we consider ourselves lucky because he will only be gone for 4 months.

6. You choose to live far from your family, we could never do that. - What?! Your right when my husband was 17 years old and got accepted to the Air Force Academy we understood exactly what we were getting into. There are tons of bases in Texas and I really thought we would get stationed at one at some point near our family.  Guess what? That never happened and it never gets easier living no where near family.

Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guard and Airmens Club

Did you know that there is military lodging available in New York City? The Soldier's Sailor's, Marines, Coast Guard, and Airmen's club is located in midtown Manhattan on Lexington Avenue between 36th and 37th street. Anyone who is military personal of the US and it's allies may stay here. This includes active duty, reserve, guard, veterans, cadets, members of the police department, fire department, emergency medical services, and DOD.

Military hotel in NYC

Our accommodations were not glamorous, but they were good enough. The family rooms are on the 4th floor of the hotel, which makes it tough because there is no elevator. We stayed in a family room that had six beds and an ac window unit. The bathrooms and showers were shared.

Rates were based on beds used and rank. I was traveling with out my husband and they kids and I were able to stay there without him.

Each morning complimentary coffee and bagels are served down stairs in the kitchen area. There is another lounge with computers where you can print for free.

We didn't not use their recommended parking garage. Instead I used Icon parking and used a groupon. I highly recommend checking out NYC Daily Deals for parking specials.


For just $89.00, CityPASS offers a savings of 46% on 6 must-see New York attractions!

Enjoy a 10% discount on a City Sights NY Uptown, Downtown, Night or Brooklyn Tour! Use code: 10OFFCS

Miracle Ranch Camp

My oldest son was lucky enough to go to camp at Miracle Ranch in Washington state to participate in Operation Extreme. If you are military and you live in the Pacific Northwest I highly recommend you check into it! It's the nicest camp I've seen. Much nicer than the places I always went! They offer lots of camps besides the military week.

Everything was a western theme, which fit perfectly with the horseback riding they offer. Other things they offered was swimming in the lake, water trampoline, volleyball, paintball, archery, and a ropes course.

tokii review

,

When my husband gets home next week from his latest military tdy, he will have been gone for seven and a half months this year.  When someone is gone that often you have to find ways to connect.  At times this can be extremely difficult.  We have always used telephone calls, email, and skype to keep in touch, but recently I discovered Tokii , a new unique way we could "connect" even from across the world.  Tokii is a free and secure website design to keep couples connected.  It is especially great for military families, because it's quick, easy, and best of all you do not have to be at the same computer to play. 

Tolkii has lots of topics including love and lifestyle.  My favorite games have been in the more specific topics like military.  I knew what my answers were going to be when I played the Military Bubble and Another Post Another Town, but I really did not know what my husband's were going to be.  It's fun to answer the questions and then compare your answers to your spouses.  It is very insightful for both partners.  It has been nice to connect at a different level while he is away.  Plus, I'm sure I am not the only spouse out there that likes to know what her husband thinks, and this is an easy way to find out!

Military move #8 is on it's way

You may have noticed that I have not been blogging as much as I usually do.  Mainly because I have been sitting around in shock for several days now.  We have been actively trying to get out of the military for some time now and we were finally told yes!  My husband is going to switch over to air national guard and we are moving back to Oregon.  All of these are good things.  The only bad thing was we were given two months notice.  Although we have two months notice we actually need to move a little sooner, because of schools and Christmas.  So, instead of blogging I am pricing Uhauls/Pods (again), packing (again), giving our landlord notice, looking and looking for a place to live and finally giving our tenants notice (painful), and all the other fun stuff that comes with moving!  Blah!

Military Lounge at Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     The Military Lounge at Miami airport can be found in Terminal E before you go through security.  It is a little hard to find.  You will see a sign directing you to it just to the right of security.  You have to follow the signs through a winding hallway.  To get in you must show your military id and your flight info.  You do not have to be traveling on orders to use the facility.  We were going on our family vacation when we used it.

      It is a large lounge with two rooms set up for families.  In the partial kitchen they have free food like pizza pockets, hot dogs, chips, drinks, coffee, and pastries.  There are also bathrooms, living room, computers, and free wi-fi. They have books, dvds, toys and more.

     In the separate family rooms are two futons, blankets, sheets, pillows, tv with cable, and vcr. 

     I was so grateful this lounge is there.  It was wonderful to relax with the children during our seven hour lay over.  It took my stress level down.  My husband was also very relieved when he called and found out we were at the military lounge. 

     If you are looking for a way to give back, this lounge or one of the other lounges in a major airport is a great way.  They run off of volunteers and donations.  The one in Miami serves around 2,000 people a month.  I can guarantee if you donate to a military service like this you will make a difference. 

 

Free USO Concert at Nellis AFB - Las Vegas

Free USO concert Featuring Blake Shelton and Friends, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Montgomery Gentry and more!

This Saturday, April 2nd from 2PM - 4PM at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Sport Pavilion across the street from the main lodging building.    Featuring Blake Shelton and Friends, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Montgomery Gentry and more! RVSPs are not required!

Don't forget your lawn chairs and sunscreen!

Military Travel tip

Is your military spouse going tdy to somewhere cool?  AGAIN!  Don't get left behind this time, instead make it a family vacation.  Check out my article over at Travelingmom.com with 5 tips for turning your spouses tdy into a family vacation.

American Wanderer Summer Camp - military kids

American Wanderer Summer Camp invites military youth middle and high school aged (11-17 years old) from across the U.S. to explore our National Parks this summer! They offer unique two-week camp sessions that explore over 34 Parks in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

Military discounts and scholarships are available.

For more information, to register or inquire about military discounts/scholarships visit: contact the American Wanderer Camp owners/directors, Lyn & Chris Kimberly at: 203-557-3339 or email: Lyn@RVCampforKids.com

Military Spouses Scholarship

Operation Homefront and the Saban Family Foundation announce the 2011 Saban Military Wife Educational Scholarship. The scholarship is offered to wives of uniformed service members to attend vocational training programs in the medical field. Applications will be accepted March 1 – May 1, 2011. The scholarships will be awarded to recipients on July 1, 2011. The application is available on the Operation Homefront website.

Hale Koa military resort on Waikiki Beach - Honolulu, Hawaii

A couple of years ago when we took a military hop to Hawaii with our kids for Christmas we stayed at the Hale Koa.  Hale Koa is a military resort on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.  I could not believe this is a military resort.  We got the last room available the day we showed up for $160 a night.  We had a standard room with two double beds.  The best part of the room was the wrap around balcony we had for being in a corner room.  If I had booked this room in advance it would have only been $90.  For the most part when you book in advance the rates are based on your pay grade. 

Here are a few pictures of the resort.  This first one is the kiddie pool.

 I'm standing on Waikiki beach to take this picture of the hotel.

 Waikiki Beach - Check out the older people standing behind my daughter.  I guess they were taking a picture of Christmas cards or maybe they just love Santa hats.

 The top balcony on the corner in this picture was ours.

 The adult only pool.  We never got to actually enjoy this pool, but it looked very nice.

 View from our room.

 Part of one of the big pools.

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner