When you travel overseas on vacation, you’re usually so busy that you don’t ever think about the things you’re missing from home. However, when you move overseas for months or years, you’ll find that it’s often the little things you miss the most.

If you talk with most expats about what they’re homesick for, most of them will mention some kind of food. Whether it’s their favorite spice, or a full holiday meal, they just can’t find a good substitute in their new country.

Before you move to a new country, look in your refrigerator, spice rack, and pantry. What are you constantly missing or refilling? Make a list of those items and head over to the blogs and forums for expats who are already living in your destination country. Find out if you can get the items you want at the local stores, and how expensive they are. You really won’t want to spend twelve dollars just to get a small jar of peanut butter.

Think about your favorite holiday meals, and what ingredients you need to make them. The holidays are often when expats really miss their friends, families, and traditions from their home country.

Before moving to Uruguay, I found out that they don’t really have spicy food there. As a former Texan, that’s kind of like saying that they don’t have water. Hot sauce on scrambled eggs is the best way to start my day, so I made sure to bring several bottles of hot sauce with me.

Those bottles also became a good way to make friends. You probably won’t be the only person missing a certain food from back home. Once the other expats from your home country hear that you have a rare and precious jar of Jif peanut butter, or Vegemite, or HP Sauce, you’ll have more dinner invitations than you can handle.

Unfortunately, you’ll probably only be able to bring over canned or bottled foods. So if your favorite food is a type of sausage or cured ham, you’re going to need to find a local substitute. If you’re thinking of bringing some seeds to grow your favorite vegetable, be aware that most countries don’t allow that.

When you’re getting ready to pack for your move overseas, remember that you can always buy more socks once you get there. Save some of your valuable luggage space for the foods that will remind you of home.

Scott Lilly writes about his experiences and tips for moving overseas at his blog MovingOverseasBook.com. You can discover all the things he wishes someone had told him before moving overseas in the expat guidebooks he has written.

Being faced with a move overseas can be daunting, but if you plan ahead and do the right amount of research, you can find dependable, affordable international moving companies that will help you get your belongings from one place to another. You can either pack the items yourself, or you can have the moving company do it for you. Either way, you can be reassured that your things will get from your old place to your new one, shipped in shipping containers designed for this very thing.

If you opt to do the packing yourself, there are a number of things you should keep in mind so your items are packed well and can withstand the journey overseas. In all, there are seven simple tips that you can follow to ensure all your personal belongings will be shipped safely and securely.

1. Make sure you do not get the boxes too full. Keep each box around 50 lbs. This way, one individual will be able to lift, transport, and load each box by themselves.

2. Try to put items inside one another. If you nest your items of various sizes, you will be able to conserve space within the box, and you will reduce the possibility of items breaking.

3. Attempt to pack your belongings as tightly as possible. Because items can shift during transport, and especially during international shipping, you will diminish the likelihood that your things will get damaged if they do not have much room to move around.

4. Use a variety of packing materials to keep your breakables cushioned. There are a lot of different things you can use to wrap fragile items, including tissue paper, newspapers, wadded paper, towels, magazine pages. You should also line the bottom and sides of every box to make sure these items will be cushioned if the boxes are shifted by movers.

5. Load your boxes with the heaviest items first. Then, you can place the lighter items on top these.

6. Plan how you will pack your things before you actually pack them. This way, you can pack similar items together, such as kitchen utensils and dishes, books and magazines, and other accessories. This will make unpacking easier, and it will also help you to find the things you have the most immediate need for.

7. Use a marker to plainly label all of your cartons. This is an important step because you can notate which end of a box needs to be upright, and you can classify some boxes as fragile if there are particularly breakable items in one of them.

Moving can be a stressful experience, especially if you are moving overseas. So if you employ the moving services of a moving company with expertise in overseas shipping, you will have the peace of mind that once you get there, all of your things will already be as well. A good mover will be able to help you with any phase of packing and loading, and they will make sure that your items arrive safe and sound at your new home.

The important question to ask is – Will it be cost effective to live and work abroad with the various tax rates?

It is crucial to weigh up the pros and the cons of working and living abroad to see if your are better off or actually out of pocket.

When you work abroad, like everywhere you get charged a tax, the first thing to look into is what the tax rates will be where you are going.

Here are a list of 5 countries and their approximate tax rates: (including income tax and social security contributions) assuming a salary of $100,000

• Germany 35%
• Japan 26%
• Turkey 34%
• United Kingdom 32%
• USA 24%

So lets take a look at whats on offer in terms of expat job compensations from employers.

Employers that require you to move abroad for your job role will compensate you in various ways for your extra expenses and changing your entire way of life.

The compensations from an employer that you will almost always receive are:

1. Living away from home allowance – this is important as you have left your home country and are adapting your whole life somewhere else so you must be paid for it.

2. Healthcare paid for in the destination Country for you and your family – the healthcare may be more expensive than it would have been in your previous home and you may have to go use private hospitals abroad or pay extra so it is only right the employer should compensate for this.

3. Your employer should either pay for your belongings to be shipped abroad or put you into fully furnished accommodation and air freight some personal effects – this is essential as you want certain belongings with you and you need to live in somewhere comfortable where you can go about your normal daily life and carry out your job role successfully.

4. If you are renting privately the company should assist you in paying the rent – this is important as you may be paying out for a mortgage in your home country.

5. They will pay for your child’s education if you have children of school age – this is an added consequential expense for you so employers should pay this.

6. Cultural and Language Training organized and paid for – You need to attend local language courses, it wasn’t your intention to move to this destination so they will rightly pay for the courses.

7. Work Permits and Visas arranged and paid for – In order to carry out your job role you need these so the employer should supply them as part of the costs of relocating you.

And here are a few of the more unusual things that some companies will compensate for:

* Telephone and Internet Costs

* Membership of local Clubs and Gyms

* Assistance to help your partner/spouse find a job

* Supplying a car with driver (depending on location)

Once you have been presented with your compensation package from your employer and have researched into the rate of tax in their chosen country I think it will be very obvious to you if you have a good deal or are going to come out of it worse off.

For example if your employer was willing to give you all the compensations listed 1-7 above and their chosen destination was the USA I think this would be a fair deal. They are offering you a lot of incentives and the rate of tax you will be paying is an average rate in the USA but a lot lower than most of the other developed countries.

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• Switzerland
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You have started living your dream life abroad, while you want to have a care-free life with no worries it is important not to get too carried away and forget crucial things. As well as normal common sense here are some pointers to help you along the way and settle in to your new home.

Blending in with the locals is important if you want to fit in and be accepted. I am especially talking about the local born and bred communities not the British expat communities. Although being part of an expat group is nice and welcoming you will learn a whole lot more, including the language from the locals. Be friendly if you see people around a few times, wave or say hello as you pass by.

Learning the language is a top priority so that you can be respected by the local people, although I know for us British people we don’t discipline ourselves enough to learn other languages. It is important if you are wanting to do business and strike good business related deals and get good pricing for goods and property. Also it lets the locals know you are serious about living there and you are not just a 1 season fly-by.

Respecting the culture and local customs is essential as you choose to live in their country so should respect these. Although you don’t have to agree with their beliefs or their religions making fun or going out of you way to be awkward or hostile towards people will only make you an outsider. Some things that we think are acceptable in the UK are quite rude or disrespectful abroad.

Gaining friends is important but be wary and use your own gut feeling at the same time, not everybody is your friend. You need to be wary of people that promise you lots of things or say things that seem to be too good to be true (they normally are!) If people keep talking about how much money they have got or talking about your money its not a good sign! Just normal chatting over a tea and people showing interest in your lives and interest in why you have come to their country to live is a good sign.

If you are wanting to buy property do not be forced into the first thing that is thrust into your face. The estate agents will tell you everything you want to hear about it just to sell it. Step back and think about it yourself and visit various estate agents to compare prices. Try to research the estate agents on the Internet to see if other people have had a past experience of them. Do not let people know how much money you can afford as they will have you spend it all, be vague about the money you have, don’t mention actual figures and don’t go into places flashing wads of money. This is your hard earned pounds after all so you wont want to see it all frittered away.

For most people keeping in touch with family and friends at home is ‘a must’ so I am sure that you will want an Internet connection for emails also a phone line for calls. Some problems faced with using normal phone lines abroad are the costs of them and the call quality. So I researched on the Internet and that is when I came across Pingo.com, the call quality is great and the rates are really competitive. I was paying 1p a minute to call home!

If you are thinking of working abroad and haven’t already decided what you will do, a lot of companies want British workers to speak to their UK customers, help them respond to their UK customers emails and be a UK customer contact.

And if you want to drive a car or scooter check into the rules to see if your UK License is valid in your chosen country otherwise you may have to apply for a new license in that country or get an international driving permit.

Make sure you are not paying double tax. If you are working abroad you will pay tax there, however you do not want to find yourself landed with a bill also from the UK where they may want to tax you on the same work. Fortunately the UK has agreements with many countries to avoid this.

Investigate into the best banks to put your money in, read forums of peoples past experiences and check out the variety of interest rates and decide on what bank suits you best. Do you need to access money quickly? or can you give notice and wait a while for the money? or finally can you keep the money in the account without touching it for a long while?

Remember how dangerous the sun actually is. You must always apply suncream and be aware how easy it is to dehydrate or even worse get heat stroke. The worst time for this is when it is hot but the wind is blowing, this fools you into thinking you are not getting burnt so you stay out for longer but you still are getting burnt.

Lastly do not think that all countries abroad are crime-free, just be as vigilant as you would be in the UK.

Ok you have decided to relocate abroad, try something new. But there seems like so much planning and organizing that needs to be done before you make the big move, Where do you start?

Firstly do you know where you want to go?
Somewhere in Europe or maybe somewhere further afield.
What kind of life do you want?
Busy City Life, Beach Resort Life or maybe the Country Life.
Can you settle into different cultures and become part of the locals?
If yes, the countries are endless.
Would you like great temperatures all year round?
If yes, Mediterranean climates are ideal.
Do you have a budget?
If so researching the cost of living in your chosen country is important.

Once you have decided on ‘the place’ to go you need to look into whether you can work easily in that country.
Some countries may require you to gain a Working Visa which may need applying for in advance before you go or some countries may want you to apply when you arrive.

Look on Forums for local job ads on you chosen country and town to see if there are any jobs up for grabs. Think of some well known global companies and see if they recruit abroad.

Next step is to look to see if you need to apply for Residence Permit in advance, again some countries require you to do so within a month of arrival so you need to check out different countries rules.

Make sure you know your financial situation and what you can afford and have enough money saved to allow you to live for a little while in case you haven’t got a job straightaway.

After this the next important step is to if possible have some accommodation sorted out before you arrive so you know exactly where you are going and where you are staying. Then when you arrive you can take some time to get to know the area and decide on where you would like to rent, if you would like to buy a home and you will get better prices face to face rather than on-line.

Health care is important so make sure you have an insurance policy in place as some countries will not treat you without one and others have badly funded health care.

Look into rates of tax abroad and see how much they will be. Make sure that you wont be taxed twice, by your home country and your new country.

Now start planning if you will relocate all of your belongings or just some of them and how will you do this. Either by using a freight company or an airline. Look into different airlines as it may be a cheaper method for you if you are not bringing too much to just buy some excess baggage in advance.

While you are abroad you will need to be able to stay in phone contact with friends and loved ones as and when you want to with a trusted source. I found Pingo.com to be this source, they charge you economic prices and the connection is always reliable.

Lastly buy a travel book or guide on your chosen country to gain more of an insight into what the country will be like. Try and pick up a few phrases or words along the way, the locals will really appreciate you for trying even if you don’t quite pronounce it right.

If you do these important steps you will find yourself on the right path and almost ready to go!

Have you left your home and family to live in a country far away? Education, business, emigration, visiting your family, taking a break or work in general- whatever be your reason for going abroad, whatever be your destination country and whatever be your budget; you can rest assured, that communication with your loved ones back home would never be a reason for concern again.

The expat community, irrespective of where they live, has a lot to cheer about! The reason this can be stated with so much confidence is that unlike a few decades ago, the whole world has now shrunk into one giant global community and expat calling solutions have seen revolutionizing changes therein. The feverish pace, at which networking and communication technology has grown in the recent years, has made expat calling, child’s play. Move over, cell phone roaming and ISD! 3G, 4G and Video-calling are the latest buzz words these days. These, however, have not reached all corners of the world just yet, and there are still many regions, where people prefer sticking to conventional methods. There are two means of communication, which have been there awhile and still feature fairly high on the popularity charts as far as expat calling is concerned.

Cell phone rental services are available in most countries and are still going strong as an inexpensive option for international calling. These are best suited for expats, who are on long-term assignments to foreign countries or students who have a 1 or 2 year course. This is obvious from the fact that, the longer you rent a cell phone service for, the lesser you tariff rates work out, and who can resist the temptations of a good deal, right? Another advantage with this option is that, country specific rental offers work out perfect for most people who want to call relatives and friends in their own countries alone. This also eliminates any additional costs and hassles that are associated with multi-country SIM cards.

Expat calling cards too are extremely lucrative when it comes to getting value for money services. These come with the additional flexibility of not having to spend valuable cash on fancy rental schemes and handsets. As the popular line goes “Keep it simple, stupid”, calling cards follow this truly universal principle to the T. These cards are very convenient, especially for people on short stints abroad. They are easily available and accessible, and they have ridiculously low tariff-rates. Considering that a majority of the expat community consists of people who have come for small duration projects, which do not extend beyond a few months, prepaid calling cards are the way to go!

So if, you are an expat who has just stepped into an alien land, and feel intimidated; do not fret. Just log on to one of the many websites available and pick out one of these two brilliant and time tested means to get back in touch with that familiar voice back home!

Sometimes the daily grind and stressful lifestyle that we lead in our normal everyday life gets too much for us and we decide it is time to leave the rat race behind and look for pastures new.

Normally we are drawn overseas by a hotter climate, a laid back and calmer way of life and healthier living, but it needs to be practical and affordable for us at the same time.

Do I need a Residence Permit in Canada?, How can I move my dogs to France?, Can I work in New Zealand? These are just a few of the kind of questions you may need the answers to before you decide to take the plunge.

That is why I have made things easier for you and collaborated 10 of the most useful websites that I have come across. They are full of useful and invaluable information to either help you decide where is best for you to relocate or if you already know where you are going why not check these websites out for further information on your chosen country.

Here are the Top Expat Websites (Listed Alphabetically)

Canada Anglo Info

This site is great if your chosen destination is Canada. It is a very fact full website that offers maps and news on Canada. It helps you compile a checklist for relocating. It contains links and contact addresses for all important sources that may help you with your move.

Escape Artist

Many guides to living overseas are on here. As well as the popular destinations to emigrate to, it includes the more unusual ones, which are searchable by region or country. It is jam-packed full of information and contains a lot of referenced material. Escape Artist is updated frequently.

Expat Arrivals

There are expat guides included on various countries. There are Q & A’s, blogs and expert advice. You can join an online community and even buy an e-book. Expat Arrivals offers inside knowledge on your chosen culture and procedures to buy property and land plus much more.

Expat Forum

This site covers many countries. There is an individual forum for each country so you can easily find the relevant information you are looking for. It is updated daily so all information is very much current. There are many members and the forums are large. Lots of great articles to read also.

Expatica
Offers 11 of the popular destinations to relocate to. Expatica gives you the important facts you need to know. From where to live to what the healthcare is like. Also features the latest news on each country and has a forum and discussion board.

Getting Down Under

This website gives you an insight into life in Australia. There are communities to be a part of and blogs to read. It tells you the latest news for living in Australia and gives you great hints and tips for your move. Also has useful sections on visas and working.

Just Landed

This site has an extensive range of countries that you may wish to emigrate to. It is easy to navigate around. Just Landed points you in the right direction with getting visas or researching the culture plus loads more. You can be part of the community for your chosen country and find suitable jobs and somewhere to live.

My UK Move

Contains all information to help you decide if you would like to relocate to the UK and planning your arrival. Gives information on costs of living and a general insight to what it is like to live in the UK. It also gives you advice on settling in and finding your way around.

Spanish Living

There site contains a lot of information about Spain and helping you to relocate there. There are a wide range of varied articles. It gives advice covering all aspects from getting internet and telephone to starting up your own business. The site is easy to find your way around.

Turkish Living Forum
This forum offers extensive information on relocating to Turkey. The members tell you about different areas to live and their experiences good and bad. There are sections to help you with all things associated with moving to and living in Turkey. You can communicate with people living there and no what to expect before you relocate there.

So you are the one who is living abroad while whole family is living in your country. What is the most problematic situation for you while living abroad? For most of the people, it is to talk back at home because international calls are quite expansive. Although you can take your cell phone with you and activate international roaming but still the charges are unbearable. Hope never ends and necessity is the mother of all inventions. If you will search properly then you will definitely find a better way to make international calls. I would suggest using expat phone cards as they can offer you great value in fewer prices.

There are different expat cards that are available in the market. Either you can buy an expat card from a book store or a post office or any other shop where phone cards are sold or you can buy it online from the internet. Although, expat cards can help you to save a lot of money but still you will like to save more money on these expat cards too. There is a very simple technique that can be used by you. The technique that is described below is a practical technique and you will definitely it useful for you.

We all know about expat calling cards, you can buy them from nearest store or from the internet. If you want to save on expat phone cards then it is better to buy these cards online. There are so many websites that are selling expat phone cards. Usually the cards that you will find on the internet will be cheaper as compared to the cards that are available in your local area market. You can even find a $30 worth expat card in just $25 on the internet. This will feel crazy but there are certain companies that are giving such offers to the customers to attract them.

What do you need more when you are getting a decent offer? This is your chance to save more on expat cards. Keep looking for promotional offers from different expat card companies. Such companies keep introducing new and exciting offers in which they don’t only give away expat cards on a discounted rate but also offer free expat cards. By winning a free expat card, you can save a lot of money and use it at some other productive place.

In the present era of globalization, the rapid economic growth and urbanization has transcended international borders. While on one hand it means that nations across the world are moving towards a better future with more technological developments, on the other hand it brings about a growing exchange of people and cultures around the globe. This exchange only keeps increasing every year, and very soon there will be a community more predominant in each country that would represent a microcosm of the cultures of the entire world: I am talking of course about the community of expats.

While most expats are very happy to immerse themselves in the local way of life by meeting all new kinds of people, some find it more comfortable to continue living their normal, quiet lives, save for the local festive occasions and get-togethers. But almost all expats would readily agree that nothing fills them up with joy more than communicating with their loved ones back home. Getting that one birthday call from your childhood friend across the globe lightens up your day; a student hearing the good luck wishes from his parents back home over the phone on the day of his exams holds his head proud all day; a working professional gets his peace of mind after hearing his wife’s voice 3 continents away over the electronic lines every night before going to sleep. Such is the importance of staying in touch with family and friends back home.

The one stop shop of solutions for converting all this to reality is a calling card. In age of electronics and communication, the expat calling cards have risen to prominence more than ever. With a growing population of expats, there is a correspondingly growing number of ways of communicating with your folks back home. However, it can be very confusing in this day of explosion of technologies to make the optimal choice. Prepaid calling cards, cheap voice calls over the internet, international monthly tariff sim cards, nation specific calling cards are just some of the many available avenues.

Prepaid expat calling cards have been in the market for a while now. They provide a good flexibility in procurement, a hassle free-usage, and a good usability in the short term. However, the tariff might not be as lucrative as in some of the other long-terms options available. A short-term exchange student, a professional in for a small business trip or even a globetrotter might want to go for this fast and easy option.

Monthly tariff systems, on the other hand, can provide better deals with contract handsets (these might well be one of the latest and most awaited gizmos) and a very reasonable international calling tariff with special plans. Expats who are settled abroad for long term assignments would usually prefer this option.

The country specific calling cards also deserve a special mention. These are much better and economical if you are sure to be calling to a particular destination regularly. But there have been known issues with most of these cards, for instance: complicated usage requirements, like 16 digit pin entering every time you make a call, hidden fees, etc.

It is therefore imperative to find out more about the service providers, take feedback from other expats and then decide on the kind of card you want to go for. There are surely many good services out there with ease of use and reachable affordability for all kinds of expats, students or working professionals alike. “Affordable Calling Cards” is currently offering these services to many expats around the world.

A small mention is demanded by VoIP or internet telephony (For eg: Skype, GTalk, etc), a growing space favored by the student expats over the globe. While it makes international calling to mobile phones and fixed lines highly economical, it is severely limited in the quality of the calls by virtue of the data-packet nature of the signals over the internet. However, with better 3G and 4G services being promised in the near future around the world, the international calling space is poised to see a whole lot of competition, followed by reasonable pricing by most players like www.Pingo.com. Surely, the expat community and all our expat friends won’t have any problems with that piece of news, would they?

I don’t want to return to my country of origin.

There. I said it. (God, I hope my mom doesn’t read this!)

In 2008, I married the love of my life – a handsome, smart, funny, loving man… who happened to live on another continent, belong to another nationality, and claim a language other than English as his mother tongue.

A week later, I was living with him in the Netherlands. Yes, it was rocky at first. Yes I sometimes still have that “what the hell am I doing here?” feeling. And, yes, life in the Netherlands could not be more different from what I was used to in the United States.
But I love it.

Feel free at this point, to argue that I’ve only been here for 18 months and am clearly still in the honeymoon phase associated with culture shock. I see your point and I fully agree. Things can change. But, from where I am now, I don’t see that happening.
The first question I get when I reveal this information is: “Oh, you’re husband doesn’t want to live in the US?”

Actually, my husband would love to live in the US. If I hear him lament about not having a ridiculously spacious garage for storage purposes, an American-sized back yard for the dog to run around, or a gargantuan pickup truck to cruise in one more time, I’m going to scream. Lucky for me, he’s terrified of the harsh working culture in the US, so I may yet avoid having to leave the Netherlands.

“What is it about the Netherlands that you like so much?” is the inevitable follow up.

Feeling like I have to satisfy my enquirer with an answer, I’ll say something like the cycling culture or the healthier lifestyle or better healthcare. Though all those things are true, they’re just the superficial things. It’s the opportunities, the benefits, the liberation I feel, the people, the experience, and really just this feeling deep in the pit of my stomach that tells me that this is home.

In fact, I find it difficult to go back to the US even for a visit. Of course I love seeing family and friends, but I miss my husband and my dog and my friends and my life here. I see with ever increasing clarity that I fit in in the US less and less. My ideals, expectations, wants, needs, experiences, and opinions have changed as my eyes have been opened to new things. I see the world, people and myself in a different way.

I realize that I’ll never truly fit in in the Netherlands either. No matter how well I learn the history and the language, no matter how well I adapt to the lifestyle and culture, I’ll never be Dutch. And I’m okay with that. Because, no matter how much I may have changed as a result of my expatriate-ism, I am still American and I don’t want to give that part of me up. It’s what makes me unique. What makes me… me!

Ironically, it took leaving my home country and moving to the Netherlands to release it.

Tiffany is an American who moved to the Netherlands for love in December 2008. She lives in Utrecht with her husband and their dog. In addition to chronicling her adventures on her blog Clogs and Tulips: An American in Holland, she also works as a freelance writer and runs her own company, Little Broadway.