#Moving Overseas

[denamailsyou]

I am on my 10th hour and this is what I have learned so far, hope it helps anyone who needs it <33

[caitofcaithall]

So like. I've dealt with fatigue for all of my adult life, and it just kept getting worse, right? And then I spent time overseas and suddenly I was walking everyday and loving it, and I could walk three miles in the morning and still have the spoons to go grocery shopping and cook in the afternoon.

And then I came back to the US and I know that circumstances influenced this a lot but things got really bad again, and I went to Ireland and literally slept and stayed in bed for a week just recovering from that.

And then back to the US where it wasn't quite as bad, and then back to the UK - where I was suddenly out walking again everyday while still managing to do the work I needed to get done on the computer, and -

Then I came back to the US. And in the intervening years - and I know circumstances influenced this a lot - I've gone from 'walk three miles in the morning and still enjoy the afternoon' to 'I'm celebrating because I woke up at 40% energy when for the last three weeks I've been averaging waking up at 25%, and maybe I could finally vacuum today I think that would be really lovely' and

I mean. Is it any wonder that I'm obsessed with hauling ass back overseas, because I actually felt healthy there? I'm not saying my chronic fatigue was cured, because it wasn't, but hot damn. Like.

[thereluctanthousewife]

How to Cope with the Psychological Challenges of Moving Overseas

It's been seven months since we relocated...

In some ways, the move has been smooth, and in others, it has been quite challenging.

For the past decade, every two years or so, moving and adapting to new cultures have been the story of our lives. I'd almost convinced myself that those days were over - until we got the call to move again. Now, here we are, in a world that's foreign yet familiar.

You'd think that moving as many times as we have would make us experts. Logistically, we probably are. We've coordinated our movements like a dance. He shortlists favorite homes, while I cut it down even further. I research schools (when relevant), coordinate with enrollments... He calls suppliers and I do operations. We've learned to adjust our belongings to fill in our space, to bring toys and items that make our new house feels like home, and to find joy in the little things.

Physical challenges are easier to cope with than mental ones.

FIRST THINGS FIRST. Researching a place is always good, but it's best to have clear expectations. Living somewhere is very different from visiting - and even more than reading about it.

Keep your eyes open. There are certain things that will inevitably happen, and it's good to be prepared. Loneliness, culture shock, frustration, confusion... They can all come at varying times with varying degrees. It's quick to dismiss it happening to you, but it will, and when it does, take it easy on yourself.

2. You're only as happy as your happiest child.

I heard this from another mom before. At the time, it didn't fully encapsulate my situation. But now that my kids are grown and moving is more traumatic for them, it resonates so much with me.

Logistically, finding good schools for kids is of paramount importance. The older kids get, the more time they spend away from home and at school. Getting a "feel" for the school and students is a bonus. If you have the chance, take it.

Whenever we move, we always prioritize securing schools for the kids. This time, since they're going to public schools, the main challenge was finding a town among all the kid-friendly towns with good school programs to choose from.

I once did a look-see at a preschool where the kids looked miserable. (I know, I know, kids are always miserable at school) - but in this one, the teachers looked miserable, too. Needless to say, I hightailed it out of there.

In our previous moves, we've had to navigate the school system, the enrollment processes, and even ready ourselves for any interviews or testing. It's a challenge, especially when you're moving somewhere blind. if you don't have a relocations agent, joining Facebook groups may be worthwhile. Most locals are helpful, and they're the ones who know firsthand any potential problems in the school system.

3. An apple a day...

Next is finding doctors... Knowing if there's an urgent care available, as well as the location of the nearest hospital. Even when we moved to a country with English as a Second Language, we found support - a lot of recommendations from friends and in the tight-knit expat community, which rallied around newcomers, and welcomed us with open arms.

Yesterday, I realized that our kids had a GP but we didn't. I ended up at Urgent Care - with a co-pay that's double the cost of the kids' regular doctor visits!

Most places require a health and wellness check before school starts. Finding out whether any such requirement is necessary is important. Some schools are stricter than others when it comes to collecting required documentation.

4. Be open-minded.

I'm sure you've heard this advice before. Everything will be different when you move. You will need to acquaint yourself with what's out there. You will need to find new favorites - restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops - even pharmacies. The taste of food will be different. It will take time to find something that's similar to what you're used to. Chinese food in the US is vastly different from the ones in Australia or Asia, for that matter.

Some frustrations are to be expected. Getting lost on your way somewhere is par for the course. Just think of it as another adventure... It may add an hour to your journey, but it's an adventure, nonetheless.

5. Treat yourself with grace.

As a mom, my biggest priority has always been to ensure my babies are settled and happy. Moving comes with the psychological pressure to make friends quickly... to find your place within social hierarchies, and to educate yourself on the culture, pop and otherwise. Failure to do so runs the risk of eating lunch alone, spending recess by yourself, or, worse, getting bullied.

It's been difficult to help my children navigate their own new worlds. The culture is different - our last home was simpler, and the people more unassuming.

Some of the biggest struggles in this move, have to do with my own mental ineptitude, and an inadequacy to deal with my own psychological challenges. I'm finding it hard to find some tangible purpose... Logically, I know I have to treat myself with grace. I can't expect to reach the same level of familiarity that I had in our previous home. But the pressure to adjust fast is intense.

So what I'm saying is - don't be like me. Take it slowly. If you don't find things to love right away, don't force it. There's a balance you need to take between taking time to adjust and pushing yourself forward to find things to love. But you'll need to learn to listen to yourself while you're doing it.

The one foolproof way to cope: take it one day at a time.

***

Most people find our life choices perplexing. They can't fathom the constant relocation. The constant upheaval. The back and forth.

For the most part, I completely understand their confusion. Who in their right minds would choose this kind of life? Up to a certain point, it has served us well. We've met many wonderful people, made friends that are closer to us than family, and learned to adapt culturally. Now, with our goal of staying put for at least four years, the idea seems like a foreign concept.

In all honestly, we never know how long we'll stay in one place. It will depend on our circumstances when the time comes... on whether we have friends we love, schools we enjoy going to, and jobs we find fulfilling.

I've always felt like a hot air balloon, tethered to the ground with multiple strings and weights holding me down. The more strings, the more things there are to connect me. To connect us.

Literal strings that bind.

I've longed to put down these strings. To settle in one place and really feel like I'm home.

I want to be in a place where I don't need to wrack my brain for names to put as emergency contacts. A place where I know where to find my favorites. Where I can confidently navigate without the guide of a GPS. A place where I can't get lost, literally and figuratively.

Realistically, I may never find it.

I'm not sure yet if I'm okay with that.

Seven months isn't long. In relocation years, that's nothing.

It takes a year to completely find your footing. Two to explore and fall in love with it, and three to feel at home.

That's a rough estimation, of course.

Beyond that, I can't tell you.

We'd have moved on already (LOL)

[worldwidemovers]

Moving to a new nation could be a thrilling experience. Yet they can bring a great deal of worries and stress. Obviously, the primary stress lies in the aspect of moving all your possessions to the new nation. A mountain of paperwork and other complications will only make the whole process worse.

[msperfectim]

A Decade of Memories to Forget.

How can you forget and forgive someone who hurt you and whom you shared almost a decade of your life with?

I was in an 8-year relationship when I decided to find my future overseas. I believe that the people who love you will still be there, even through the distance. I thought a long-distance relationship would not be an issue, as we have already been together for years. Months apart, I started to feel that something was wrong, but I couldn’t figure it out. I went home on a holiday, and everything…

[shippingfromusa]

The website https://InternationalShippingUSA.com is a platform that offers international shipping services. It provides shipping solutions for both commercial cargo and household goods. The platform offers US International LCL Sea freight, which allows users to ship boxes, crates, and pallets from the USA to overseas destinations. The website also provides a real-time online sea freight price calculator that enables users to calculate international shipping costs for commercial and household goods.

[gamerabroad]

Wild Monkeys, Horny turtles, and dangerous beasts await. Still amidst the worst viral Outbreak seen in Western Vietnam: I got up and personal with the snakes and beasts of the Snake Sanctuary In Đồng Tâm, near Tiền Giang Mỹ Tho, Vietnam. We didn't see any other visitors, but saw some very scary and some totally adorable animals at this often overlooked attraction in Đồng Tâm, Vietnam. Join our huge community on discord and be a part of the conversation: https://gamerabroad.com/discord Please Support me on Patreon for exclusive content: https://gamerabroad.com/patreon If you want to buy me a coffee I can't stop you:  https://gamerabroad.com/coffee By popular request, a PayPal Tip Jar: https://gamerabroad.com/paypal Please follow me on Facebook https://www.gamerabroad.com/facebook Please follow me on Instagram: https://gamerabroad.com/instagram Please follow me on Twitter: https://gamerabroad.com/twitter Thank you very much everyone for all the love you send my way. I assure you, the feeling is mutual. I am an American Expat in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (I dislike the word Expat). I have lived in Vietnam for 3 years, I am almost considered an expert at living abroad. As I live, work and explore, I want to take you around with me to show you what I saw in Vietnam and talk with you about my experiences living in Saigon and take you with me as I travel vlog around Vietnam in 2022. This is my Vietnam life, my Saigon life, my expat life. I always thought living abroad would be scary, but it's interesting and fulfilling. The food is amazing, the culture is fascinating and the people are friendly and welcoming. If you ever wanted to take the leap to travel and live abroad, Tourism in Vietnam is buzzing right now since Vietnam. I am often asked: are Vietnam borders open? Yes indeed, tourism reopened in 2022. Want to know what I saw in Vietnam and my life in Saigon. What I think about Vietnam and traveling abroad? What to do in Vietnam? What to do in Saigon? How to work, or work as a teacher in Asia? How to get a visa or what a digital nomads life could be like in Asia or Vietnam? What is it like to be an Expat in Vietnam and Asia? Or even how to be a travel vlogger (albeit a not yet successful one, here's hoping)? I am an expat, a Saigon Vlogger, a HCMC vlogger, a moto vlogger, a lifestyle vlogger, a digital nomad resource, a Saigon nightlife vlogger. I hope you will feel encouraged by my channel. I am not a Vietnam digital nomad in HCMC. But I know a few. Some keywords I like to include are: . expatriate vietnam zoo

[kaybeemes]

a coffee shop au a friend and i came up with

[inqorporeal]

It feels ridiculous to be so nervous about this, after all the other risks I've taken in my life. I'm going to a trade school, full time, for a certification that will hopefully allow me to get and fucking KEEP a job FOR ONCE. It'll be less than a year, but the financial risk is much higher than what I've done previously, which is why I think it has me on edge.

It was tough to decide how to approach it. I have rent and bills to pay, after all, so the smart move would be to go part time in the evening and work during the day. The problem with that is, for me, it's a recipe for burnout and worse. I've been fighting depression my entire life, and having ADHD means that if I don't have a few solid hours per day to decompress and do my own thing, I start to spiral. College was miserable for me and it's honestly a miracle I survived. There's also the lingering issue of me having been engaged in a job hunt since fucking MARCH, sending out 2-5 applications per week, and getting absolutely fucking nothing but rejections or less. The odds of me being able to find a job quickly that will cover my bills, while I take classes for a year and a half, are dogshit.

As the meme says: the time will pass anyway. Better to be actively doing something with it than repeating the same cycle of failure. And if I take the classes full time, I get to work the floor and hopefully earn tips, because cosmetology is still a trade.

I'll still be in dire financial straits, so I'm looking at getting back into doing character art commissions. I need to update my website and my commissions page, but you can find examples of my work here [link to my website], and if you want to just donate a couple dollars to my cat's Food and Litter fund, here's a [link to my ko-fi]. Please send a message if you'd like to discuss getting some character art done, my inbox is open.

(cat tax photo)

[lokh]

brooo no way did all children of immigrants get told u couldn't trust anyone and no one would help you too 😭😭😭

[asynca]

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

I feel like I'm missing the crux of the man vs. bear debate because it's so silly. of course I would pick the man, because neither my Sig nor jiu jitsu is going to take down a bear

[beaft]

I'm so sorry about your job. Losing out to automation really fucking sucks. I know it doesn't help much now but fairly soon a lot of those companies will be finding out that AI is not a good enough replacement for humans and so those roles will be opening up again. I hope you find something to bridge the gap soon. Just remember that you're waay better at what you do than any AI and hopefully when those companies come crawling back you can demand a wage increase from them.

thank you for your kind words, they're truly appreciated. i'm trying really hard to stay positive and remind myself that things won't be like this forever, but it's just... difficult. the last time my life felt hopeful and like it was actually going somewhere was pre-pandemic, when i was studying for my master's degree - then covid hit and after that everything has just been going steadily downhill.

i hope you're right, and that things will improve; this is just one of those days where believing that feels like holding on to a cliff edge with my fingertips. praying that i will be able to make some sort of change, any change, before the year is out

[bluesidedown]

Hi I'm still surviving yay

[devourthelamb]

It's been nagging at me a lot, so I've decided to bite the bullet and set up a gofundme.

I had a dog before moving stateside, and she has been staying with my parents for a year now. At the time I could not bring her with me and thought lightly of flying her over later on. I don't want to put her through flying in cargo, so I ran into many obstacles over the past year and they just made me feel worse as I lost hope altogether for a while. Recently I have finally found a flight company willing to fly owner trained service dogs, and I am once again hopeful.

I really need her help navigating through everything again, as I have been mentally degrading ever since I had to leave her behind. I can barely go out anymore, not just because even the thought of being around people is enough to send me into a panic attack that will incapacitate me for the day if not days, but also because I am losing myself to my depression on top of that. She was what kept me going. She was the reason I was able to keep functioning.

She is my heart dog, my daughter, and my service dog. I can't stand the thought of fully losing her. Not yet.

I have never talked about her being a service dog on social media. Mostly because as far as I was able to find throughout 2 years of digging around prior to getting her, I could find nothing on owner trained dogs being recognized in the Netherlands. Also the fact that I don't like being vulnerable. I trained her for everything a service dog should be trained for, and she has dealt with toddlers flailing and screaming in her face at dog friendly events and zoos, and simply ignored them every time. I never brought her to non dog friendly places despite that, though. Imposter syndrome has been weighing down on me with a heavy guilt, even though I have trained her well. Here in the states I will have to re-assess her as I have been separated from her for a while, and it's a new environment. For the flight, I can say with 1000% certainty that she will meet the standards she is expected to.

I appreciate any shares, any help whatsoever.

https://gofund.me/b6df7db2