new zealand marks the second country i have packed up and moved to, and i’m here to tell you that it’s not as black and white as it looks. i had this discussion at dinner one night with another expat/transient and we agreed that unless you’ve actually done it, you really have no clue what its like for those of us who have. so what is it like? read on for my take…
to give you a better grasp of what we go through, imagine setting up your life again. getting a bank account, applying for a tax number so that you can work, buying a cell phone, finding a job, a place to live, and buying groceries/household goods for the first time. then imagine starting all over again making friends, finding people whose interests click with yours. not all fun and games, huh?
up first: bank accounts. you may not even remember setting up your first bank account. your parents probably walked you through this one, but depending on where you are, you need to set up an appointment with a bank. oh, but first, you need to research the banks and the sort of accounts that you want.
what fees will they charge? can you access your money online? can you transfer money from your home bank (because you won’t get rid of that) to your foreign bank?
so. many. questions. you find a bank, you make an appointment, and then you have a list of things to bring with you. a proof of address (but what if you don’t have a solid address yet?), multiple forms of id. i made copies of everything before i left the states, but you may need to track down a printer (and there are no office max/kinkos) or copier. good luck. (try the library.)
next: tax numbers. those of us in the states are born with a unique tax number: it’s our social security number. but in many other places, you apply for a tax number when you begin to work. somewhere out there is a number associated with my several months of work in the uk, and i just got my new zealand number. but what do you need to get that? more proof of address, bank details, proof that your bank account is not money laundering, multiple forms of id. i asked my landlord to initial a copy of our lease agreement so i could use it as proof of address – as i would in the states – and he said it was a confidential agreement and they didn’t need it. culture shock. i’ve always used a lease as proof of address. so instead, i used a letter from my bank.
speaking of calling me, i have a cell phone. i unlocked my iphone before coming down (a process in itself, let me tell you – give yourself some time to get that done before you leave) and i made sure i had international calling on my home plan so i could fall back on it if i didn’t find the right plan right away. on my first day in town, i headed off to find a cell phone shop and a bank. i looked up online where to buy the phone plan i wanted and went there. it was an office supply store (that did sell sim cards), but the guy said they didn’t sell that sim card. he gave me the name of another place – about fifteen minutes walk in the opposite direction – and i went there. a home goods store. no help. i was jetlagged, cranky, hungry, and so lost. i changed tactics and went toward the bank, in the city centre. then i passed a shop with a familiar name: a place to buy a phone card. they were helpful, it was cheap, and i got international calling. i had checked off one item on my to do list.
lastly, grocery stores! at home, you probably know what you like to buy. you know what the brand names are and what brands are generic. you know what a good price is for organic, skinless, boneless chicken breasts. now, in a foreign country (still english speaking, mind you) you’re completely at sea.
one of my favourite things to do in another country is wander the grocery store. unfortunately, city shops are full of city workers picking up a quick thing for dinner before catching the bus home. they are not good places to wander and compare prices. i rely a lot on what other people are buying: i peek at their carts, i see what they pick up, i look for the mostly empty shelves that tell me: this is a popular item.
it is not all that easy to pack up your life and move to another country. vacations are easy. but moving… even just for a short period of time (like a one-year visa!)… is overwhelming, and can be highly frustrating. the important thing to remember is that people do it all the time, successfully. stay tuned for part two: meeting new friends when you move to another country and part three: finding a job.
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