Image Credit Pixabay.com License CC0
The sun is always brighter and the grass is always greener. Many of us dream of lives in a different country. Setting up homes in tropical climates where we don’t have to deal with rain or the stresses and strains of our current life.
We may look at the idyllic surroundings of far-flung countries and picture ourselves with a better work/life balance living in greater luxury in a much more relaxed setting than the one that we currently find ourselves in.
This type of pipedream is something that many of distract ourselves with while we’re working or going about our current lives, but not many people ever act upon it. But a move such as this is achievable, you just need to be able to think creatively about your situation, and plan well.
Find Work
When you move to a new country, you are obviously going to need to pay your way. This means finding a job. You might worry about a potential language barrier that prevents you from getting work. If this is something that you need to worry about, get a headstart. Use language apps such as Duolingo to start learning before you go. If there are any suitable language classes locally, you might want to sign up. You will learn a lot more when you are immersed in the culture though.
If language is a barrier, is there an ex-pat community that you can find work within? Many countries have thriving communities, with English speaking bars, restaurants, hair salons, and real estate agents.
Another option might be to continue serving clients from back home, remotely. If you work in areas such as web design, app development, graphic design, IT support, or content writing, for example, you could be anywhere in the world, and as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection you can still do the same job.
Having work lined up before you go will be vital. You may have savings you can fall back on, but without work, these will rapidly diminish.
Find Somewhere To Live
Next up, you will need to find somewhere to live. Use an online realtor to find a house in Thailand or wherever you plan to move. You may not be able to buy in certain countries, as some places may have restrictions on who can own property. Even if you can buy, you should consider renting at least until you are settled in the country you are going to.
Visiting the properties before you move can be a challenge. If you are able to make a trip over to look at properties and organize work, this might be helpful. Another option might be if you know someone in that country who might be able to look at the property on your behalf to give you their honest point of view before you commit to it.
Do You Need A Visa?
One major point that you will need to address is whether or not you will need a visa to live and work in the country you are planning on moving to. Every country has different requirements, and it is best to plan well in advance as some applications can take a long time to get approved.
You will also need to know how long a visa lasts for, and when it has expired whether you can obtain another or get permanent residency, or even citizenship.
Visit the office of the national embassy of the country you plan to move to or go onto their website to find out as much information as possible.
You may also need to get vaccinations for certain prevalent illnesses before you move to the country. Again, check on the embassy website for more information.
Moving Your Possessions
Uprooting all of your possessions and moving them to a completely different country is both stressful and expensive. If you want to take everything that you own, including your larger items such as furniture and appliances, then you will need to get a container to have it all shipped over.
As soon as you know what you are doing with regards to your move, start getting quotes from international removals companies, and for moving shipping containers between countries. Find out if there are any legal restrictions on any items that you plan on moving across with you. Similarly, if you want to bring your car over, do your research about whether your driving license can be used over there and whether you need any paperwork completing with regards to your car.
If you are not taking everything you own, you may opt to put a lot of your possessions into storage, or even pass them onto a friend or family member to look after. If you need to hire self-storage, shop around for the best price, but do not compromise on security.
Once you know what you are doing, you can begin the stressful process of packing up your old home. Remember to work methodically and logically. Pack up similar items together. Do not overload boxes. Make sure you label the boxes up with their contents on them to help you out when it comes to unpacking. And remember to label any fragile items.
Making The Move
Allow yourself time to adapt to your new home. You may want a week or two to settle in, to get your home how you want it, and to get a feel for the local area.
It cannot be understated how important it is to start looking for ways to integrate into the local society as quickly as possible. Moving overseas can be stressful and very isolating if you do not have a friendly support network around you. Make sure that you pay attention to feelings of loneliness and do everything that you can to make connections and form friendships.
Stay in contact with as many friends and family as possible back home too. Arrange regular skype calls, and write as often as you can.
Image Credit Pixabay.com License CC0
The sun is always brighter and the grass is always greener. Many of us dream of lives in a different country. Setting up homes in tropical climates where we don’t have to deal with rain or the stresses and strains of our current life.
We may look at the idyllic surroundings of far-flung countries and picture ourselves with a better work/life balance living in greater luxury in a much more relaxed setting than the one that we currently find ourselves in.
This type of pipedream is something that many of distract ourselves with while we’re working or going about our current lives, but not many people ever act upon it. But a move such as this is achievable, you just need to be able to think creatively about your situation, and plan well.
Find Work
When you move to a new country, you are obviously going to need to pay your way. This means finding a job. You might worry about a potential language barrier that prevents you from getting work. If this is something that you need to worry about, get a headstart. Use language apps such as Duolingo to start learning before you go. If there are any suitable language classes locally, you might want to sign up. You will learn a lot more when you are immersed in the culture though.
If language is a barrier, is there an ex-pat community that you can find work within? Many countries have thriving communities, with English speaking bars, restaurants, hair salons, and real estate agents.
Another option might be to continue serving clients from back home, remotely. If you work in areas such as web design, app development, graphic design, IT support, or content writing, for example, you could be anywhere in the world, and as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection you can still do the same job.
Having work lined up before you go will be vital. You may have savings you can fall back on, but without work, these will rapidly diminish.
Find Somewhere To Live
Next up, you will need to find somewhere to live. Use an online realtor to find a house in Thailand or wherever you plan to move. You may not be able to buy in certain countries, as some places may have restrictions on who can own property. Even if you can buy, you should consider renting at least until you are settled in the country you are going to.
Visiting the properties before you move can be a challenge. If you are able to make a trip over to look at properties and organize work, this might be helpful. Another option might be if you know someone in that country who might be able to look at the property on your behalf to give you their honest point of view before you commit to it.
Do You Need A Visa?
One major point that you will need to address is whether or not you will need a visa to live and work in the country you are planning on moving to. Every country has different requirements, and it is best to plan well in advance as some applications can take a long time to get approved.
You will also need to know how long a visa lasts for, and when it has expired whether you can obtain another or get permanent residency, or even citizenship.
Visit the office of the national embassy of the country you plan to move to or go onto their website to find out as much information as possible.
You may also need to get vaccinations for certain prevalent illnesses before you move to the country. Again, check on the embassy website for more information.
Moving Your Possessions
Uprooting all of your possessions and moving them to a completely different country is both stressful and expensive. If you want to take everything that you own, including your larger items such as furniture and appliances, then you will need to get a container to have it all shipped over.
As soon as you know what you are doing with regards to your move, start getting quotes from international removals companies, and for moving shipping containers between countries. Find out if there are any legal restrictions on any items that you plan on moving across with you. Similarly, if you want to bring your car over, do your research about whether your driving license can be used over there and whether you need any paperwork completing with regards to your car.
If you are not taking everything you own, you may opt to put a lot of your possessions into storage, or even pass them onto a friend or family member to look after. If you need to hire self-storage, shop around for the best price, but do not compromise on security.
Once you know what you are doing, you can begin the stressful process of packing up your old home. Remember to work methodically and logically. Pack up similar items together. Do not overload boxes. Make sure you label the boxes up with their contents on them to help you out when it comes to unpacking. And remember to label any fragile items.
Making The Move
Allow yourself time to adapt to your new home. You may want a week or two to settle in, to get your home how you want it, and to get a feel for the local area.
It cannot be understated how important it is to start looking for ways to integrate into the local society as quickly as possible. Moving overseas can be stressful and very isolating if you do not have a friendly support network around you. Make sure that you pay attention to feelings of loneliness and do everything that you can to make connections and form friendships.
Stay in contact with as many friends and family as possible back home too. Arrange regular skype calls, and write as often as you can.
Image Credit Pixabay.com License CC0
The sun is always brighter and the grass is always greener. Many of us dream of lives in a different country. Setting up homes in tropical climates where we don’t have to deal with rain or the stresses and strains of our current life.
We may look at the idyllic surroundings of far-flung countries and picture ourselves with a better work/life balance living in greater luxury in a much more relaxed setting than the one that we currently find ourselves in.
This type of pipedream is something that many of distract ourselves with while we’re working or going about our current lives, but not many people ever act upon it. But a move such as this is achievable, you just need to be able to think creatively about your situation, and plan well.
Find Work
When you move to a new country, you are obviously going to need to pay your way. This means finding a job. You might worry about a potential language barrier that prevents you from getting work. If this is something that you need to worry about, get a headstart. Use language apps such as Duolingo to start learning before you go. If there are any suitable language classes locally, you might want to sign up. You will learn a lot more when you are immersed in the culture though.
If language is a barrier, is there an ex-pat community that you can find work within? Many countries have thriving communities, with English speaking bars, restaurants, hair salons, and real estate agents.
Another option might be to continue serving clients from back home, remotely. If you work in areas such as web design, app development, graphic design, IT support, or content writing, for example, you could be anywhere in the world, and as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection you can still do the same job.
Having work lined up before you go will be vital. You may have savings you can fall back on, but without work, these will rapidly diminish.
Find Somewhere To Live
Next up, you will need to find somewhere to live. Use an online realtor to find a house in Thailand or wherever you plan to move. You may not be able to buy in certain countries, as some places may have restrictions on who can own property. Even if you can buy, you should consider renting at least until you are settled in the country you are going to.
Visiting the properties before you move can be a challenge. If you are able to make a trip over to look at properties and organize work, this might be helpful. Another option might be if you know someone in that country who might be able to look at the property on your behalf to give you their honest point of view before you commit to it.
Do You Need A Visa?
One major point that you will need to address is whether or not you will need a visa to live and work in the country you are planning on moving to. Every country has different requirements, and it is best to plan well in advance as some applications can take a long time to get approved.
You will also need to know how long a visa lasts for, and when it has expired whether you can obtain another or get permanent residency, or even citizenship.
Visit the office of the national embassy of the country you plan to move to or go onto their website to find out as much information as possible.
You may also need to get vaccinations for certain prevalent illnesses before you move to the country. Again, check on the embassy website for more information.
Moving Your Possessions
Uprooting all of your possessions and moving them to a completely different country is both stressful and expensive. If you want to take everything that you own, including your larger items such as furniture and appliances, then you will need to get a container to have it all shipped over.
As soon as you know what you are doing with regards to your move, start getting quotes from international removals companies, and for moving shipping containers between countries. Find out if there are any legal restrictions on any items that you plan on moving across with you. Similarly, if you want to bring your car over, do your research about whether your driving license can be used over there and whether you need any paperwork completing with regards to your car.
If you are not taking everything you own, you may opt to put a lot of your possessions into storage, or even pass them onto a friend or family member to look after. If you need to hire self-storage, shop around for the best price, but do not compromise on security.
Once you know what you are doing, you can begin the stressful process of packing up your old home. Remember to work methodically and logically. Pack up similar items together. Do not overload boxes. Make sure you label the boxes up with their contents on them to help you out when it comes to unpacking. And remember to label any fragile items.
Making The Move
Allow yourself time to adapt to your new home. You may want a week or two to settle in, to get your home how you want it, and to get a feel for the local area.
It cannot be understated how important it is to start looking for ways to integrate into the local society as quickly as possible. Moving overseas can be stressful and very isolating if you do not have a friendly support network around you. Make sure that you pay attention to feelings of loneliness and do everything that you can to make connections and form friendships.
Stay in contact with as many friends and family as possible back home too. Arrange regular skype calls, and write as often as you can.
Please note that some of the links above and below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.
