3 Things I Learned Moving to Another Country

In January 2015 when my husband decided to accept a job in another country, I was excited for him and the new opportunities it would open us for our family, but nervous, as we’d (me and the kids) never lived in another country but Grand Cayman before. I spoke with people who’d gone through the same experience for their advice and googled the heck out of moving to another country. The best part about the move? Convincing my husband to let me become a full-time writer so I could stay home and take care of the kids too, of course. *wink, wink*

Moving is always stressful and a pain, but these three things stood out for me.

TAXES

I was born and raised in a tax free country and my only experience with taxes was obtaining my ITNI# when I became an author. Taxes being different in every country sounds like a no brainer, but make sure you understand what taxes you’re required to pay where you’re moving to and the requirements (including filing paperwork) in your own country so there are no nasty surprises come tax time. It’s equally important to know how taxes will impact your new pay check and your take home pay.

PAPERWORK

You don’t realized how disorganized your paperwork and legal documents is until you move and need to provide them. Living in the same place can spoil you when the time comes to filing paperwork. Don’t wait until the last minute to put them together. Let paperwork be the first thing you handle when moving, along with finding out ahead of time what paperwork you’ll need once you move and what backup documents will need to go with all application submittals. They can include:

Vehicle purchase and driver’s license
Housing
Residency applications
Working applications
School applications (if you have kids)

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

No matter how much you plan and prepare, there’s bound to be something (okay a bunch of things) you’ll forget or didn’t consider. Each person’s experience is different so don’t beat yourself up. Deal promptly with any emergencies, and keep working towards yourself and your family becoming settled and back to a sense of normalcy.

Moving can be challenging, but if you cover the basics (this blog could go on for miles), the rest will fall into place and you’ll be ready to enjoy your new life.

While we’re not completely settled (moved again caused we purchased a town home), each day takes us closer to making Florida our new home. My husband is enjoying his new job, and I’m loving writing new books, and pitching new freelance clients even without a window view from my office.