Where you go becomes a part of you somehow.
Dear Clever Expat,
One of the most frequent questions that comes my way is related to the process of relocation, usually phrased like this: “How difficult is it to move to another country?” If you have had this question yourself, you are not alone!
Usually, there is something behind this fairly general question, and that can be concepts like healthcare, cost of living, or making new friends in a different country. Sometimes, these questions take other emphases: Where do you even begin with finding an apartment? How do you understand the visa requirements?
In my experience, “expat relocation websites” can be extremely helpful in answering these questions, among many of the other expat topics you may want to discuss. This isn’t a specific category of websites (like “food blogs”) but if you start looking for websites to help you relocate abroad, you’ll start to see some patterns.
First, there are questions about the cost of living in a new country. Websites like expatistan.com, numbeo.com, and livingcost.org will be your friends in this area. Some might even dip into housing costs and major purchases, like automobiles. One of the more comprehensive sites that is more related to job assignments abroad is salaryexpert.com (https://www.salaryexpert.com/cost-of-living). Each is based on a wide index of goods and services that is reported by locals living in a particular area.
If you have big questions about joining or building a new community in your new country, then there are a few ways to start that process before leaving your home country! First, meetup.com provides an excellent way to join interest groups and find your kind of people. In many ways, you can also find out what activities others enjoy doing in your target country. I’m also a huge fan of Internations (internations.org), an English-speaking social group with over 400 chapters in many cities around the world.
If you are looking for a more purpose-driven type of expat experience, then Go Overseas (https://www.gooverseas.com/) might appeal to you. This is a website that connects programs for learning, teaching, volunteering, and many more action-based travel ideas. Some other examples include goabroad.com and transitionsabroad.com.
Finally, the reason these websites exist is because people have overcome the challenges of being an expat and charted a new adventure for themselves. While it may look overwhelming at first, you can learn so much more about your new home through these websites.
You’ll definitely find that making friends and learning about culture differs around the world. While you will have to figure out your own plan for your own finances, check out this book from the Clever Expat Bookshelf. Once you read it, you’ll be MUCH more prepared to make the healthcare decisions necessary for a successful expat experience!
How to Become an Expat: and move out of the U.S.: the Detailed “How-To” Guideby Ann Fourt
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Keep exploring!
The Clever Expat
When renting in Netherlands, when rental comes with ‘no floors’, how hard is it to get rugs or other flooring in prior to move?
Hi, Lori, and I’ve heard this about moving to the Netherlands. I’m not really an expert at the moving-in process, but if this is normal, then there is probably a healthy industry around flooring in the Netherlands. I just did a quick search and found a collection of companies that specialize in this. Is that your experience, too? I also recently spoke with someone from the Netherlands about this, and they said that their experience was that all the places they rented came with flooring, although that’s a sample of 1 person. Each country has its own way of providing rental spaces, and it seems like this is a flavor of rental arrangement that is unique to the Netherlands. Good luck!