Inspired Overseas Living

It’s exciting to contemplate living overseas, and if you’re thinking about a move, then consider the possible challenges that you may face. Before moving review the level of heath care that is offered in your new country. If you are moving to a location where you don’t speak the language, then it is recommended that you take language lessons so that you may communicate easily. Here are five more tips for moving overseas.

1. Don’t lose touch with the relationships in your previous town. Visit (more…)

If you want to live in Mexico for an extended period of time, you will have to take care of a few legal matters when you arrive. You will need to go into the Mexican consulate and prove to them that you have enough money to take care of yourself for the next five years. If you have a criminal record, that might not be the best idea though. The jails in Mexico can be very difficult and you might be forgotten down there.

If you want to work in Mexico you will want to get an FM3 (more…)

According to the United Nations Human Development Index, Canada is the number one place to settle in terms of employment, educational facilities, life expectancy and cost of living making it a very popular residential destination for those desiring the leave the United States.

While most people live in the large cities bordering the United States, many of these cities have certain drawbacks for US immigrants such as the main language spoken such as in Quebec (more…)

Venezuela is located in northern South America and is bordered by Columbia, Guyana and Brazil. The geography of Venezuela is diverse with the towering Andes Mountains to the west, the tropical Amazon Basin in the south, vast central plains and the Caribbean coast to the east.

When Christopher Columbus landed on the Venezuelan coast in 1498, he was overwhelmed by its richness, beauty and mild climate. Climates variy with elevation and the lowlands are humid, but with a bearable average temperature of 85 degrees, whereas the higher (more…)

Some people may look to overseas travel and living sites for information and tips when it comes to planning Spring Break, especially now that 2011 has rolled in thoughts of sunshine and beaches grow increasingly popular. With that in mind, we wouldn’t be doing our full due diligence without posting comments about what seems to be an increasing problem in Mexican border towns which are often frequented by Spring Break-ers in their quest for underage drinking and partying. It seems that sexual assaults, rapes, kidnappings, and murder are all on the rise as violence between drug cartels escalates — with many unsuspecting bystanders (more…)

ReferencesIf you haven’t yet made the big move and consider yourself to still be in the planning stages you might want to tap into the following resources to garner as much information as possible before you actually relocate overseas. If you believe in the adage that “information is power,” you might want to make sure you’re well-armed before making what some might consider the biggest move of a lifetime.

• Survival Kit for Overseas Living (L. Robert Kohls) offers up tips and skills for Americans planning to live overseas and shares insight on how to explore cultures while avoiding stereotypes and other common pitfalls. Reviewers of the book have commented that it “clearly and practically explains what it is to be an American and how that effects how others see us.”
• The Grown Up’s Guide to Running Away from Home: Making a New Life Abroad (Roseanne Knorr) is described as being written for empty nesters, early retirees, and even established executives, when midlife is the perfect time to turn travel fantasies into real time experiences. The text covers the dos and don’ts of international health care and taps into the boom in online travel resources as well as many other timely and informative topics. One reviewer comments the book would have saved “a lot of hand wringing on various subjects and helped me think through a number of topics in advance” had it been read before embarking on (more…)

So you’ve finally taken that leap of faith and are planning a move to another country. Consider yourself lucky to have the courage and the means to set out on such an unbelievable adventure. If you’re heading overseas without secured employment, you want to at least take some time before you leave to research potential job opportunities and maybe even set up a few interviews. The last thing you want is to find yourself three months into your life abroad, still unemployed, and running out of money.If you have any interest in teaching, consider taking a class to learn how to teach English in foreign countries. TEFL International offers a range of courses of different levels and for different time periods for certification to teach English. (more…)

Anytime you move from one place to another, packing up, storing and shipping your belongings is quite a task. But if you’re planning on moving overseas, it becomes a whole different ball game. Knowing what to expect in your new country and packing efficiently can go a long way to reducing the stress of such a long distance move.Throughout the entire process it is important to keep in mind the shipping costs. This will likely place limitations on how much you can bring. In addition to moving and shipping costs, find out how much your destination country taxes imports as you will have to factor this into total costs. When you move to a new country you are going to be surrounded by new people, new places, and a new culture, all of which can be overwhelming at times. In order to cope with all of this, you want a place to come home to that is cozy and comfortable. When packing, focus on bringing items that will create a homey feel, not just all the clutter you have in your current house. Photographs, a special quilt or afghan, or decorative items you’ve acquired on various trips can add so much to a home without taking up too much space. You should also consider the new house or apartment you will be moving into and how it differs in style and design from your current home. Chances are it will be quite different and most of your current dcor may not go well. This can actually save money because purchasing a few new home items typically costs much less than shipping all of those items overseas. (more…)

Moving to another country means you will be subjected to the laws and regulations of their government and there are limits to what documents and licenses are valid in each individual nation. Before you leave and while you are abroad, there are a few things you should remember to do in order to ensure a safe, problem-free international experience.

1. Acquire necessary documentation: The US State Department has a list of all the countries with links to pages describing what documents you are required to obtain prior to arrival. You also need to make sure your passport is up to date because it will be needed for travel to and from your destination country. You will find yourself with quite a mess to fix if your passport expires while you are abroad and you need to return home. (more…)

If you’ve decided to relocate to another country you probably have a great interest in their culture, practices and general way of life. You are about to be immersed in a whole new environment and while there you want to take everything in. If this new country happens to speak a different language, it’s important to get a feel for it before you arrive. By no means do you need to be fluent, but knowing key words and phrases and basic conjugations will not only make life easier and more convenient, but it will help you experience their lifestyle to the fullest. One of the biggest mistakes many expatriates make is moving to a new country with no knowledge of the language, which results in them gravitating only to fellow Americans and missing out on the experience of another culture. Enrolling in a language class at a local college is a great way to get a feel for the language, but if you don’t have the time or can’t afford this there are plenty of other resources to help you learn. (more…)