International moving – how to prepare

International moving, the big move. First of all, congratulations! If you are reading this, you must be very excited and with a good reason. Moving to a new country, the new continent is indeed an adventure of a lifetime. From packing, transportation to various culture shocks like eating with your fingers and many others. So, do you know everything you need to know? Most likely not. And you shouldn’t know everything, then, it’s not an adventure. But there is something that can do to prepare for it. You can prepare for the unexpected and to be able to act in those situations. Not to mention the visa thing, healthcare, the language barrier, the law. You need to understand the psychology of moving. So, wait, let’s start from the beginning.

International strategy for international moving

You need to start with a plan, with a strategy that is different than the one for the local moving MD. That strategy should be extended in various ways. So, besides planning the packing part, you need to think about the law regulations of the country where you are headed. Create a strategy that will cover the topics that you are most worried about. If you don’t know anything about the visa requirements, make a topic just for that. It can happen that you need to wait for the visa for 2 months. That is why you need to start way in advance with the international strategy. Write down all doubts that you have and start finding the answers. You don’t want to find out in the last minute that something takes 30 days to get it done. Stick to your international strategy.

That international strategy will remind you of your mistakes and deadlines. You don’t want to have too much work to finish everything. Take small bites and place small achievements. Once all the parts of the process are clear, it will be easier to execute them. If you figure out that some plans are not good, you need to change them and adapt to the situation. But, that doesn’t mean that they are bad. For the international moving, of course, some things will be handled differently, like moving and storage service options. You need to have your medical insurance and medical records with you. If you plan to go to an exotic country, you need to have a vaccines shot or your pet. So, make separate sheets for visa regulations, healthcare, socialization can be different. Moving part should be handled by a professional company that understands you.

Ask the moving company for advice

Indeed, the moving company can provide you with more details about your international moving. The experienced ones will present you the most common mistakes that a person can do. For example, check the climate of the country where you want to go. It can happen that it is too rainy or too cold, so you need to prepare different clothing. Not forget about the socks and umbrellas. If you are going there for a couple of months or a longer stay, be sure that you pack adequately. So that you can have all that you need, but don’t go over the top. Of course, the best way to find a good company is to google. And that will take a lot of time. Check the reviews and ask for opinions about long distance moving companies. The terms and conditions are certainly going to be different.

You will want to hire a company that is insured. For the moving outside the country, that is a must. To most of the people, this is common sense, yet things have happened. Don’t risk getting your beloved items damaged in any way. Always ask the representative of the moving company important questions. How is transportation going to be handled? What is the binding quote? How much time do you have to file a claim? And this is just a tip of the iceberg. What about the Bill of Lading? If there’s a problem on a foreign soil, whose jurisdiction is it? That is why the checklist should cover these topics in advance. As for the technical, moving part, mark questions and demand answers. Once one part of these questions is completed, start another topic, different social aspect.

The social aspect of international moving

This will, most likely, be the most difficult for you in the beginning. Adaptation to the new environment is challenging. But after some time, you will relax. The point is to embrace what you see there. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, prepare for the unexpected and for the things you cannot understand. Start with learning the language. If you don’t know the language of the place where you going to, get to know it. At least learn some most important phrases like thank you, hello, I’m sorry and similar. Do not judge other people’s English especially if you don’t speak their language. That is just one of the things that you will start to learn about yourself. You will become more introspective. People will have a different sense of humor or will eat in a different way.

But, remember that you also have different eating habits for someone else. So, always be polite and have understanding for different things. This goes for all aspects of your international moving. You should take the best out of your relocation. Meet new people and make friends. Later on, you might end up visiting one another. When and if you return home, you will miss those international greetings like kissing 4 times on the cheek etc. So, start thinking about the relocation. Make a plan and start working on it. Check what kind of visa and healthcare you require. Hire a company that is insured. Learn the language. Be mindful. And don’t forget to take a lot of pictures. By the way, do you know who made that packing peanut? Enjoy your moving!