As I gear up for another move abroad (Egypt this time!), my mind is racing with the seemingly endless to-dos and more and more items keep getting piled onto my packing list. This list may be helpful for jogging your mind about the types of things to add to your packing list:<\/p>\n
Read through your contract again and find out all of the details about your relocation allowance (if there is one). Do you need to drop boxes off at a specified location? Are they covering additional luggage on your flight? Also ensure that you know all of the details on weight and size restrictions from the airline.<\/p>\n
Many schools will set you up with a \u2018buddy\u2019 to ask all of the little questions you have. Your buddy is usually an experienced teacher who is very familiar with what is and isn\u2019t available in your new home. Take advantage of their knowledge! Also, some schools might have systems in place to transfer household goods from departing teachers to new arrivals. This is a great, affordable way to turn your new house into a home.<\/p>\n
If you need to have original documents available for Visa purposes (such as University degrees and police checks) be sure you know exactly which ones to have on hand and when you need to have them – should they be in your carry-on? Have your vaccination records, international drivers license, any financial information you\u2019ll need and proof of your teaching qualification. Make sure you\u2019ve made backup copies and stored them somewhere secure. Oh, and don\u2019t forget your passport!<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve shipped your household goods separately, you may find yourself in an unfortunate pinch when you arrive in your new, empty apartment. While you can survive with paper plates for a few days just fine, it is usually nice to have a set of sheets for your new bed! (Find out ahead of time what your school will be providing in these circumstances.)<\/p>\n
Now, I always travel with the same basic first aid kit in my bag. I\u2019ve learned from experience, that there is nothing worse then coughing down a few mouthfuls of stinky mystery medicine when you\u2019re already feeling at your worst!<\/p>\n
Digitize as much as possible! Scan any standby activities that you frequently rely on or books that you use time and time again. Find out what the school has available and remember that websites like Teacherspayteachers<\/a> are always there when you\u2019re in a pinch. Also think about what you would like to do to make your classroom a welcoming environment. (Often, posters can be printed off quite cheaply; much easier than trying to find a way to pack them!) If you\u2019re a primary teacher, there likely isn\u2019t the same access to d\u00e9cor items that you\u2019re used to back home, so find ways to DIY as much as possible. (Though, to be honest, I still like to pack a roll of bulletin board border with me!) And stickers, never forget the stickers! (No matter what the age group!)<\/p>\n While you might not have all <\/i>of your holiday plans plotted out, it helps to have a vague idea of what you might be doing before leaving home. If you\u2019re backpacking through South East Asia, you\u2019ll need shorts, a swimsuit and not much else. Whereas a trip along the Trans Siberan Railway will require an entirely different wardrobe! Also, keep in mind the activities you\u2019ll be doing: Hiking? Cycling? Surfing? Diving? If you have gear that you\u2019ll need, best to pack it! (Yes that does look slightly ridiculous at times: moving to Northern China with surfboards in hand. Not that I\u2019d know anything about that. Ahem\u2026.)<\/p>\n Especially if you have children, spend time talking with them about how holidays and special celebrations may be different when you move overseas. In most countries now it is fairly common to find Christmas d\u00e9cor, but smaller Western holidays often aren’t recognized. Think about if there\u2019s anything you can bring to make these events more familiar (particularly if it will be your first time away from home for the holidays).<\/p>\n Most computer chargers now are dual voltage; just make sure you have the right type of plug to go in the wall wherever you\u2019re moving. Find out if you can unlock your mobile for overseas use. Make sure you have an adapter for charging your camera. In terms of other electronics (hair dryers, electric shavers etc.) don\u2019t bother! It\u2019s usually easier to find a replacement in your new country.<\/p>\n Make sure you know how formally you\u2019re expected to dress at school. Also, be sure that the clothing you pack will fall within cultural expectations. For women, it\u2019s always better to err on the side of conservatism. If you\u2019re moving to some countries (China, Vietnam to name a few) you may have a hard time finding clothing to fit, depending on your body type. This again is something to ask your buddy for more information about.<\/p>\n Contact your buddy or do a few online searches to find out what personal hygiene items are available in your new country. Tampons and deodorant are commonly not available, so they will be something to bring from home.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re like me and have a Kraft Dinner addiction, this will certainly be something to pack! On the other end of the spectrum, I am a bit of a health nut and like to bring quinoa as well as favorite seasonings from home.<\/p>\n You\u2019re going to need a hobby. While for many of us simply exploring the streets of our new home will be entertainment enough, there will be evenings that you just want to relax on the couch. If you\u2019re an avid reader, buy an e-reader. If you draw, bring a sketchbook. If you\u2019re a runner, bring running shoes. Things for some hobbies (such as knitting or cheap guitars) are easy to find in many places. Again, do your research ahead of time!<\/p>\n While most of us, at some point or another, have had to figure out how to pare down our packing list for a holiday, figuring out how to do that when moving overseas long term is a whole new challenge! Realistically, almost everything you\u2019ll need will be available almost anywhere you go. So what do… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":8378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[895],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/hiveboxx-oM_2BIDTrjM-unsplash.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5Krhd-Nn","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3061"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8379,"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061\/revisions\/8379"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teacherhorizons.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Travel supplies<\/h5>\n
Holidays<\/h5>\n
Electronics<\/h5>\n
Clothing<\/h5>\n
Personal hygiene<\/h5>\n
Comfort food<\/h5>\n
Hobbies<\/h5>\n
Ultimately, any form of travel is a lesson in the art of simplicity. A huge part of why so many of us have signed up to teach overseas is so that we can collect experiences. So use this transition time as an opportunity to reflect on how to balance the \u2018stuff\u2019 and the experiences in your new life abroad.<\/h4>\n
Have you got any tips for moving to a new country? Anything you wish you’d known before you left? Let us know in the comments?<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"