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Live and Thrive in These Uncertain Times

Dealing with uncertainty: how to regain a sense of control when everything feels so up in the air. 

Not only are we dealing with ‘unprecedented’ times, we are also dealing with a huge amount of uncertainty on a daily basis. 

Uncertainty about the future is normal; we cannot see what is likely to happen in our lives. These days, however, we are also living with uncertainty about the present, which causes all kinds of horrible feelings and emotions. Things change so quickly that it’s all very unsettling.

When you’re planning a move abroad, or potentially moving anywhere, this uncertainty is even more a feature of your life: expat life comes with uncertainty attached. Maybe the company says you might be posted overseas… but they don’t know for sure. Or you will be posted overseas… but you don’t know when. Or you don’t know how long the posting will last… Will you move on? When and where? And all the other questions that come with moving abroad – schooling, housing, etc etc. And now, of course, will you even be able to fly to that country? Will you have to produce some kind of proof of vaccination paperwork? Will you have to quarantine? Will there be another outbreak that shuts borders again?

Find out what uncertainty I’m personally facing in this episode and learn some tips to cope so you can find a little peace too.

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here

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Packing Day! It’s the final countdown.

Don’t worry, I’m not singing anywhere in this episode!

Starting from about 3 weeks before Packing Day with advice, hints and tips on what needs doing now. Including a few items to make sure you get now.

Then some experienced tips on how to make Packing Day run smoothly for both you and your packing crew. Plus how to cope with the big day itself.

Once that’s done, the hardest part is over, and you’re on you first leg of the journey to your new, expat life.

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Plan And Pack For Your Overseas Move: A complete guide to organising your packing ready to move abroad. eBook available here
• 'Arrival Well' - Checklists for your arrival overseas - available here
• Packing Lists - available here
• To book a Power Hour call with me, please check out my diary, here: Expat Espresso Hour

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Sorting out Your Paperwork and What to Note During Your In-Home Survey

Two distinct but connected topics as your path towards Packing Day is one way; and it’s coming up soon.

You may be a supremely organised person who deals promptly and efficiently with all your paperwork as soon as you have some. Or you may be like me; stuffing it randomly into a drawer to file another day… most likely, that ‘another day’ is when you next have to move house…

The first part of this episode is all about organising your paperwork for disorganised people!

In the second part of this episode, I’ll take you through step by step, what happens with your in-home survey: when the removal company’s assessor comes to take stock of what you’ll be shipping.

Lots of useful hints and tips for those of you who don’t move overseas with just two suitcases!

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here
• For more free advice on moving and living overseas with your family, check out my website, ExpatChild.com where you'll find tons of article on every aspect of expat life! 

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Decluttering Before a Move Overseas

Or just decluttering... you don't need to be moving home to have an occasional clear out of excess 'stuff'.

Decluttering is actually stage one of your preparation to move overseas!

Start as soon as you know you’re moving abroad. Whether that’s two years in advance or two months. Getting started is often the hardest part. 

With tips, tricks and advice from someone who hates decluttering, but has had to do it often! Find out how to declutter with kids around, discover logical methods to make this necessary task easier and learn my one key mantra to help you make tough decisions.

Even if you’re not moving overseas, having an occasional clear out of the clutter really does help clear some mental space too.

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Plan And Pack For Your Overseas Move: A complete guide to organising your packing ready to move abroad. eBook available here
• 'Arrival Well' - Checklists for your arrival overseas - available here
• Packing Lists - available here
• Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here
• Visit ExpatChild.com for more free information about expat life!

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Well done on making it to 2021 – possibly the most anticipated and longed for year in history.

A brief look back at 2020 and a couple of things I learned about myself. 

Also, an introduction to something I call The Expat Blues, which can hit many of us – expat or not, to be frank, around this time of year. A melancholia about the end of the holiday season. I’ll give you a couple of tips on how to shake off this rather flat feeling.

You may also feel a need; a somewhat self-imposed pressure, to make the ubiquitous New Year’s Resolutions. 

I say don’t make resolutions! Make plans and set goals instead, which have a much better success rate. And I’ll share my top 10 goal setting tips to ensure success in a world then making plans seems a risky business.

Let's do our best to make 2021 as successful as possible for each of us!

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here

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Well, it’s December. What a year this has been. And there is no denying that it’s been probably the most difficult year most of us have ever experienced. 

Christmas overseas in general is a bit weird if you’ve spent most of your previous Christmases in your home country. And this is often a difficult period for expats, due to expectations from our families in our home country and the pressure we put on ourselves to try to make everyone happy. We often place a lot of significance on this festival as it may be the main, or only, option for us to all to get together in one place again.

This year, we may not be getting the Christmas we hoped for, but there are still many opportunities to make this a memorable season for all the right reasons. 

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here

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Tips for finding your ideal home overseas

Something I’d highly recommend is to move into somewhere temporarily. It’s a great way to trial run the neighbourhood you are considering.

Spend a few weeks or months getting settled into the country and the lay of the land and work out where and how you want to live.

If you’re prepared to live out of boxes for a while, then you can take your time to find the perfect home with some detailed local research.

It’s not just about choosing the right property, it’s about choosing the right area. Yes, location, location, location!

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here

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Some of the legal aspects of moving and living overseas.

Vital information on what you need to know before you move overseas, from a legal point of view.

Including crucial information about moving overseas with your children. What you need to know before you move abroad with kids, in relation to international law on habitual residence, The Hague Convention, and paperwork needed when travelling with your children.

Taking a look at your relationship and whether it will be recognised in your host country or even illegal. 

Is your visa status safe or precarious?

Also, protecting yourself in the event of separation or divorce, even if you're deliriously happy right now. 

Moving abroad requires careful planning. You should obtain legal advice as soon as possible. The more you can do in advance to ensure that your move goes smoothly the better. It is essential that you fully understand the potential impact of the relocation of your family life now and in the future.

Knowledge is power, and it's helpful to know this stuff.

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Link to all legal articles on ExpatChild.com
• To book a Power Hour call with me, please check out my diary, here: Expat Espresso Hour

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An overview of the main types of expat education options available and how to choose the right one for your child.

Tips and advice on what to keep in mind when choosing a school abroad. Do you choose a local school or an international school? Home education or virtual school? How to find a school for your SEN child and more!

Sometimes parents put too much emphasis on trying to find a ‘good’ school. This is very hard to judge as a parent as it depends on the curriculum, the teachers and differs from class to class and from child to child, even within the same family. 

Each child is different; each country’s school system is different. Also, families differ in their requirements and wishes and even relocations vary greatly.

Make choices for your child and your family. Not necessarily the school ‘everyone else’ sends their children to.

What is more important is that your child is happy there; a happy child learns, regardless of the school’s reputation.

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• My book on Amazon - 'Expat Education - An Expat's Guide to Choosing a School Overseas' 
• eBook - Top considerations and questions to ask a school
• To book a Power Hour call with me, please check out my diary, here: Expat Espresso Hour

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Choosing a removal company for your move overseas

How do you find the best international removal companies? How much is a removal company? How do you know you are choosing a reputable firm?

Start looking early! Plan a long way ahead because there is a lot involved.

And don’t go for the cheapest option. There’s more to this big move than price. 

Tips on the extras to look out for, so you’re not taken by surprise later on.

You've got an awful lot on right now, and moving house is one of the most stressful times in the person's life. Make sure you choose an international removal company that can help remove as much of the stress as possible.

• Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again!  Join The Expatability Club: the one-stop-shop for everything expat. 
• Try this fabulous tool to get up to 5 free quotes
• Plan and Pack for Your Overseas Move – eBook
• Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here

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