militarymoms

Today, let’s talk about overseas moves.

Moving across an ocean presents special challenges.  If you receive overseas orders, it’s very important to begin your preparations immediately.  Plan extra time, because things often go haywire at the last minute.

I’ve moved overseas twice, and I have some suggestions to help your transfer go smoothly.

• Don’t fudge the overseas screening.  However much you, personally, want to live abroad, you will not help your family if you conceal medical conditions that truly cannot be treated overseas.  It’s not easy to seek medical care in a foreign hospital where you can’t speak the language and can’t read the paperwork.  I’ve seen too many people end up in that spot, not because they had accidents but because they had chronic medical problems that they didn’t reveal during the overseas screening process.  If your overseas duty station says there are “limited” medical facilities, they mean it.
• Apply for your passport and visas right away.  Don’t forget.  This process takes a long, long time to complete.
• Think carefully about taking your car.  Ask people who’ve been stationed where you’re going what it’s like to fix a broken water pump on an American- or Japanese- or German-made car in your destination country.  Is the base garage OK?  How long does it take to get parts?  How much do used cars cost?  We shipped cars both times we moved overseas, because my husband is tall and we knew he’d never fit in a tiny Italian car.
• Fix all broken things on your car if you plan to ship it.  Buy lightbulbs, wiper blades, oil filters and other routine maintenance items and put them in your shipment.  Even if you have a base garage at your new duty station, chances are you’ll need a part just when it’s sold out there.
• Leave heirlooms behind.  If you really love a particular piece of furniture, consider how you’ll feel if it’s crushed or scraped in transit.  Irreplaceable photos should be left in the care of a responsible relative.  Valuable jewelry you don’t wear often will be safer in a safe deposit box.  (You have to hand-carry all your family paperwork, so your carry-on bag won’t have room for much else.  Plan to hand-carry jewelry if you decide to bring it.  Do not pack it in your suitcase.)
• Save up.  You might need extra cash for rent deposits, utility deposits or a car.  You’ll need an emergency fund in case your pay is not processed properly, and you’ll need to stock your refrigerator and pantry when you find a place to live.
• Ask, ask, ask.  Find people who’ve just returned from your new duty station.  Get a sponsor and start emailing your questions.  Read about your host country and your duty station online.  The more information you have, the easier your transition will be.

More to come…

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