Posts Tagged ‘relocating’

By Kristi Remick

Milestones are identifiable points in our lives that represent something epic: college graduation day, the birth of  a child, the first time one lays eyes on Johnny Depp, etc.  For me, August 19th marked a new one – I survived one full year as an Expat.  Since I prefer to sit back and let change seek me out like a heat-seeking missile, no one was more surprised than me when I told me husband “let’s do it…let’s live out our dream and move to Europe”.  Who was this person?  Why in the world would I say this phrase if I knew it would only be followed by months of hand wringing, hours spent on the internet searching for affirmations and the very real possibility I would require psychotropic drugs at some point during the planning process?

While the hand wringing resulted in premature osteoarthritis of my right index finger and the hours spent on the internet left me with more questions than answers, I knew I had to do it.   I had to sell the house that I loved, leave my career behind and say goodbye to friends and family.  The planning process was only the beginning of my emotional journey and I knew the real test would come when we actually set foot in Zurich.  As a result, I dusted off the old mental straitjacket and packed it along side all of my other jackets: the “get a grip”  jacket, the “holy crap, am I really doing this? ” jacket and of course my rain jacket…no, a real rain jacket.  It rains a lot here.

I wish I could lie to you and say I didn’t need my straitjacket the first year in Zurich.  I know a lot of you who read these Expat blogs are considering a move abroad and if you are anything like me, you are only looking for butterfly and lollipop laced stories of success.  Living in a new country is amazing but the fact of the matter is, you will be presented with unique challenges that will test your resolve. The white walls in your flat may start to dimple and resemble padded walls.  The straitjacket may get so tight it suffocates you but then something clicks…it is like Houdini himself unbuckled the first buckle for you and whispered “see, it isn’t so bad…just bend the strap back and release the tension…now go get ‘em tiger”.

It took about a year but I finally unbuckled the last buckle on my straitjacket.  As I fold it up in preparation to store it, I am overcome with immense gratitude.  Gratitude that my straitjacket kept me firmly in place and incapable of running away.

When I am not busy stuffing my face with chocolate, you can find me over at From A to Z blogging about my life in Zurich Switzerland.

By: Cherrye Moore

We are in the second week of June and this expat is happily at home with her Texas-based friends and family. There is nothing like going home, seeing familiar faces, frequenting familiar haunts and yes, I’ll admit it, sometimes equally as important … eating familiar food.

I have to say, though, I come home twice a year-each summer and again at Christmas-and each time I stock up on my American goodies.

When I first moved to Italy four years ago, I’d buy my Gold Toe socks, fill up during the Bath and Body Works semi-annual sales and even buy my makeup and remover.

But luckily, things have changed.

I am no longer am addicted to Gold Toe socks and Sephora’s recent addition to our shopping center has helped with the makeup, lotions and shower gel dilemnas.

Still, there are a few things I still import.

Medicine
I recently realized you can indeed buy Ibuprofen in Italy, but yowsers is that stuff expensive. Instead of forking over €12 for 12 pills, I run by Walmart and stock up. In addition to Advil, I always carry Tylenol, Tylenol PM, DayQuil and NyQuil and vitamins, for both my husband and myself. We also bring American-strength deodorant.

Books
Even though I have had good experiences with Amazon UK and am addicted to reading through the Kindle App on my iPod Touch, I still like to buy a few books from the US. Usually I buy work-related books to help with my freelance writing career, but I’ve also been known to stalk the sales counter at our local B&N. Old habits die hard.

Food, Food, Food
You can take the girl away from the Mexican border, but you can’t keep the Mexican cravings away. I always buy Velveeta cheese, taco Seasoning, Jambalaya mix, canned soup for cooking, Big Red gum and a few boxes of Ziploc bags … you know, to store all of my leftovers.

Are you an expat? If so, what do you buy from home?

Cherrye Moore is a freelance writer and travel consultant living in Calabria, Italy. She can organize a group Calabria tour or help you plan a custom itinerary for your family from her website, My Bella Vita.

Photo: Cherrye Moore, My Bella Vita

by Tina Ferrari

Many of us, when bitten by the living abroad bug, find ourselves charmed by the idea of living in a small town, while others get excited by the big city.

Oftentimes we dream of specific places because they are so different from what our current lifestyles have to offer.  If you live in a large city and are constantly rushing to meet deadlines, stuck in traffic, exhausted, you are probably thinking of a small town where the pace is just right.  If you have always lived in a small town, you might be antsy and wishing for some rush and excitement – and chaos.  Each of the two choices has its pros and cons:

Small towns.  Who, after seeing Under the Tuscan Sun, doesn’t love the idea of living in a small town where everybody knows each other?  You have your butcher, your green grocer, your florist.  You take walks and run into people you know all the time.  There is always somebody to stop and say hello to.  On the other hand… everybody knows each other.  If you’re used to life in the big city where you can do whatever you want and nobody notices, you’re in for a surprise if you switch to a small town.  People do notice. It’s not necessarily a bad thing – just keep in mind that a little bit of discretion goes a long way.

Big cities.  The rush, the excitement, the constant movement. There is always something going on in the big city.  A diverse population, a sense of individuality, and the neighborhoods are all different from each other.  People are straight-forward and to the point.  They are so busy carrying on with their own lives that what you do is your business – they don’t have time to worry about you.  On the other hand, if you’re used to the tranquility and slow pace of a small town or the country, you might get overwhelmed.  I know someone who had panic attacks almost every day their first week in Buenos Aires.  It can be a lot to handle if you’re not used to constantly busy streets and sidewalks.  My advice in this case is to find your favorite park and make a regular visit to it.  Just a few minutes of silence surrounded by green can do a lot for one’s well-being.

What’s your advice or experience on small towns vs. big cities?

Tina Ferrari is a tango dancer, translator and writer currently based in Lecce, Italy. She writes at AffordableCallingCards.net as well as on her own blog, Tina Tangos. Comments are always welcome!

It’s just a few weeks until I move back to my beloved Italy.

In July I booked my ticket for October 5, thinking I had all the time in the world.  Up until just last week, I still thought I had all the time in the world.  And now I have less than three weeks.  Where did all that time go?  I’m not ready!

I’ve never been a big “prepare in advance” type person.  When I moved to Switzerland at the beginning of 2002, I think I packed everything the day before.  When I moved to Italy in 2006, I started packing two days before, but got most of it done the day before (and also spilled wine on my laptop, which brought on quite a bit of stress).  When I decided to live in Argentina I was already there so I didn’t have to prepare.  I did go back to Seattle for a couple of weeks to get more of my things, but that’s about it.  And now, Italy again.  I would love to start my preparations right now, I really would, but I have so much going on with Tango that I won’t be able to think about getting ready until I have just four days left.

The nice thing about having moved abroad several times already is that I don’t have too much stuff.  A lot of folks have houses, furniture, pets and multiple boxes of books to worry about.  Since I already went through something like that the first time around, I have managed to narrow my belongings down to fit into 2 suitcases, 1 laptop case, and 1 overnight bag to hold my umpteen pairs of tango shoes. (Hey, some people have their books, I have my tango shoes. )  So it’s really just a matter of packing it all in an organized way.  And doing so quickly.

I fly into Rome and I actually had the foresight to book a bed for a night in the Eternal City.  (It’s that or risk missing the last train to Perugia and being stuck in Rome with no place to stay.)  Otherwise, that’s the most prepared I get.  I’ve finally learned to accept this about myself, even if it means I’m a hellish nervous wreck to be around on my last day in town.

What’s your packing process when you move somewhere new?

Tina Ferrari is a translator, writer and tango dancer who will soon be based in Italy.  She writes at AffordableCallingCards.net as well as on her own blog, Tina Tangos. Comments are always welcome!

What is it that attracts us to a place?  What inspires us to take the leap across the ocean to make a new country our home?

Some people move for work, others for the experience of living in a new place with a new culture and language, and yet others for love.  Then there are those of us who just feel “right” in a certain place.  We all have different reasons for being inspired enough by a country to live there.  I’ve moved for plenty of different reasons.  Having lived abroad several times, every motivation was unique, as was every experience.

Heritage. In my case, my love affair with Italy began when I was born.  Born to an Italian-American family, I was exposed to all things Italian from the get-go.  I still remember sitting in my great-grandmother’s kitchen when I was a child, listening her speak to me in Italian mixed with broken English while she fed me.  At the time, I had never guessed that I would live there, but once I started traveling to Italy, it was apparent in my heart that it would be my home.  When I found out I qualified to be an Italian citizen, I was overjoyed and jumped into the long bureaucratic process of becoming Italian.  Moving to Italy means moving back to my roots.

Love for a person. After I finally took the leap and moved to Italy for the first time, I also fell in love – with an Argentine.  Next thing I knew, all I had created for myself in Italy was put on hold so I could follow a man to Buenos Aires.   It was very romantic, this move, but it certainly brought up its own set of challenges.  After about a month and a half in Argentina we were in Seattle again, for various practical reasons.  The relationship didn’t work out but I did fall in love with Buenos Aires and went back to live on my own for a year and a quarter.

Love for a place. Some people get quite attached to places.  Every time I traveled to Italy, the moment I would set foot on Italian soil, I would sigh as though arriving home.  I moved there because I wanted to go home.  It is my home.  Those hills with their ancient olive trees are part of who I am.  I know expats who feel this way about Spain, France, England and many other places.  Sometimes the pace of a city just fits with how you do things.  Maybe you find it easier to adapt to the cultural habits of a certain country more than your own.  Maybe you just like it.

Something different. Eight years ago, a good friend of mine returned from living in Italy for a year.  I was inspired, envious.  I had just made some changes in my life and wanted to do something new, take a new direction.  I needed something different, and a totally new environment sounded just right.  I had already traveled a considerable amount, but had never considered living abroad.  I got tired of feeling jealous of people who “got to do” these things and created an opportunity for myself.  I closed my eyes, put my finger on a map of Europe, and it landed on Switzerland.   I made it happen and spent eight months working as an au-pair and  taking the train to Italy as much as possible.  I became the perpetual expat you see here today.

What inspired you to make the move?

Tina Ferrari is a translator, writer and tango dancer who will soon be based in Italy.  She writes at AffordableCallingCards.net as well as on her own blog, Tina Tangos. Comments are always welcome!