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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

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Original poster

Anybody moving abroad soon and fancy a hand holding thread?

91 replies

KD0706 · 03/03/2013 18:25

DH starts a job in Switzerland on 1st may. So we intend to move over there (currently in uk) around the end of april.

I'm looking forward to it but also v daunted. Anybody else on the move soon?

OP posts:

MistyB · 03/03/2013 21:13

Not moving but in Switzerland (Geneva) since 2011. Happy to share experiences / answer questions!

Slugslasher · 04/03/2013 09:30

I'm moving to Auckland, NZ beginning of April for a three year secondment (husband's job). We have a rented house lined up and are having our upfront costs met by his employers. We are looking at it as an adventure. We are in our late 50's, empty nesters with no grandchildren. Looking forward to the experience.

Good luck in Switzerland!

BertieBotts · 04/03/2013 09:35

Moving to Germany in August, that's the plan anyway!

I'm currently doing a CELTA and attempting to learn German from a CD because there are no beginners' courses here. DP has been there since June and is looking for a place for us to live :)

Guess · 04/03/2013 14:21

Yes me!
Great thread idea, we are moving to the USA in a few weeks. Not enough time to post right now but will def be back later!

teddymummy · 04/03/2013 17:33

Moving to Kuala Lumpur in August, so have marked my place here!

inuite · 04/03/2013 17:59

On my way to Rome at the end of the school year.

Waiting to hear about school places for 1DC and wondering how much Italian i can learn before i go.

Excited but panicked at the same time.

cleofatra · 04/03/2013 18:32

Yes please...australia in about 3 weeks.

Vespar7 · 05/03/2013 23:06

Liechtenstein tomorrow....

FifromN12 · 06/03/2013 13:38

Cape Town around September

JoandMax · 06/03/2013 13:45

Dubai one month today! DH has been there since ginning of feb so can't wait to all be together again.

We've found tenants for our house here, DH has today found a house to rent there, we have a school place for reception DS1 and should hear if DS2 has got into the school pre-school soon

I'm getting excited!!!

dana4nyc · 07/03/2013 21:04

We are! Moving to Oman at the end of this month! DH has been out there working since early Jan. Excited and nervous at the same time!

casperthefriendlyghost · 08/03/2013 23:21

Oh fab timing on this thread - moving to Amman, Jordan in August with DH & 3DC - really excited at the moment, can't wait to tell family, but am sure nerves will hit in some time soon...

dana - do keep us posted on your experiences as I imagine there will be much I can learn from you!

Mutley77 · 09/03/2013 23:51

We arrived in Australia a week ago !!

cleofatra - whereabouts are you going?

PositiveAttitude · 10/03/2013 00:11

I am just over 7 months into our move to Cambodia. I can identify with all the emotions you have all said you are feeling.

It's been exciting, terrifying, unsettling and sometimes just plain weird!! When I arrived here I felt as if I had changed planets, not just continents. Now things seem less daunting and I am feeling more settled, although "home" is still the UK.

BertieBotts · 10/03/2013 01:00

I've just found a beginner's German course here for £123 which slightly overlaps the end of my CELTA - going to be taking that up :)

It's feeling a bit abstract for me. I'm looking forward to being with DP again and I kind of know I'll be far away but it doesn't feel so far at the moment. It's only 1-2 hours on a plane, etc. I think it's going to be a bit of a shock when I get there, I just hope I can cope

Makingmama · 10/03/2013 18:08

I've been in Dubai since Dec...tbh I'm struggling a lot with it, but hoping I will start to settle in more soon!

casperthefriendlyghost · 12/03/2013 13:50

Makingmama, do you mind expanding - what is it you're struggling with? I'm feeling positive about our move to Jordan but still very early days and haven't yet told family. Told my sister at the weekend as she is getting married in Nov & highly unlikely that we will be back for it. Didn't go down too well & I felt horrendous.

Original poster

KD0706 · 12/03/2013 16:05

Hi everybody. Just marking place, will be back soon with my chat. Have children crawling on me at mo but worried I won't find thread again if I don't mark.

OP posts:

Original poster

KD0706 · 12/03/2013 23:13

Hello. Great to see so many people. Hopefully we can do a bit of mutual hand holding.

misty it's Basel we are moving to. I may well be in touch with general Swiss questions.

Our exciting news is that we went over on a house hunt end of last week and have found and secured a city centre apartment. It's nice knowing where we will be living. But also quite surreal.

My husband is going to be on a local contract, it's not an assignment he's going on. So the move could be forever. Though I'm trying not to think of it that way.

OP posts:

Clueless2727 · 13/03/2013 11:28

Can i join this thread. After months of waiting, seems hubbie's transfer to singapore has finally been approved (well verbally still nothing in writing). Excited, scared at the same time. Probably going june ish time. Already done school applications, but so much will need to do (once get 100% written confirmation) first thing will be to tell dc and parents. Not good kids will be sad to leave grandparents but excited About school and living somewhere with pool Then rent house, pack up,wind up my business, so many things.

Makingmama · 13/03/2013 16:20

casper my main problem actually probably has more to do with the fact we're living with my parents 'temporarily' - 3 months so far...hopefully only another month max The dc ages 5,3 and 2 settled in straight away, also dh is faring better than me. I still can't drive here etc so feel I'm beig held back a lot. If I had a car I would just be off exploring, throwing myslef into as much as possible. There is so much on offer in Dubai. But the hardest thing for me has been the huge culture shock and everything being SO different here...I miss my lovely friends so much, feel very lonely here atm.

Barbie1 · 13/03/2013 16:33

at the ladies moving to Dubai, it was my home for fours years up until we left last may. I still miss it so very much if you have any questions feel free to ask.

I'm in France now, we relocate to Korea in June as long as world war three hasn't broken out

Barbie1 · 13/03/2013 16:35

Making mamma, you will soon get over the culture shock.

In fact there is hardly any culture there at all

The weather was the toughest part for me, but I soon grew to love it.

Where are you staying? Maybe a trip to waitrose will make you feel more at home

Makingmama · 13/03/2013 16:59

Thanks barbie I'm loving the weather so far, but not looking forward to the hot hot summer! Staying on the Palm in a villa so think that's a bit of a problem too with not driving as it's just a bit 'out of it'. Trying to get to grips with the different areas, and whether we want villa/apartment living...so when we start properly looking in the next couple of weeks for our own home I'll know which areas to focus on. Any advice will be gratefully received! The schools and nursery are all in Safa - so that area seems the most sensible...but then evey time I go to the Marina I change my mind!! .

Have been shopping to Waitrose which is great...and we went to Ikea a couple of days ago...was brilliant, felt right at home !

Barbie1 · 13/03/2013 17:31

You need to get your head around the weather. Treat the summer a winter and do stuff indoors and winter is the new summer!

With children is would consider a villa with garden as opposed to an apartment, the marina looks lovely but is a bastard for traffic in the evenings. It's taken an hour to get out of there before now!

If you like that area look to live behind in the springs/ meadows and lakes. Full of expats and lovely villas with plenty o space. Most areas have there own supermarkets and is stocked with more western brands. They normally have health clubs too which are a god send when the warmer weather starts. Ahhh how I miss my Saturday afternoons at the lake club sitting by the pool!

It's easy to get to safa, 20 mins max from this area too.

I have loads more info but its bath time here...back soon

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