Happy New Year!!! And what a new year it will be. For those who missed the first installment, check out my 12/18/07 entry to get a preamble to my move to Brussels in March.
(http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977206873&nav=Namespace)
The response to my first missive was very encouraging and I'm starting to get excited about my impending move. I want to get on over there. Ah, but there is so much to do. Luckily many of my fellow Gatherers have stepped up to help guide the way. Check out, for example, John Philipp's http://johnphilipp.gather.com/ "Stuff and nonsense - Oh, what to move?" and "Moving's for dummies" and also JoAnn C.'s (http://joanninct.gather.com/) "My vacation Parts I (Paris), II(Rome), and III (Munich)."
And many others with ideas for places to visit once I get there.
First up - figuring out what to do with my townhouse (rent?), car (sell/donate to charity?), banking (2 accounts? 1 here/1 there?), taxes (am I paying US taxes or EU??), finding an apartment to rent in Brussels (you want HOW many Euro for that?), etc. Not to mention such mundane things like getting new business cards with my Brussels office address, figuring out how I'm going to manage my US clients from Europe, and working out the cell phone issues (do I get one here or wait until I get there?), etc.
Any suggestions?
Next Tuesday - Whose stuff is this?
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Comments: 121
Attached to this article are some of Paris, which I'll also post in my image section
good luck will be waiting for even more on the move
Thank you for posting this to my new group Best Original Photos, Art and Writing For 2008.
No shots needed for Europe. Get an international license, before you leave, its very easy, Check out the AAA. But drive carefully at first. Europeans approach driving in a whole different way. Brugge is beautfiul. You can also easily get to many lovely places in France and Holland. I suggest a trip to Leiden, and of course Amsterdam.
The biggest problem you will face will be the European bureaucratic mentality (which is really strong in Brussels, home of the EU), which makes the IRS, MVB and SS in the US look tame. My advice is get someone who knows the system to help. And practise patience. Belgium is better than Italy (where I was) in this regard, but it will be a challenge. Permits, documents, etc, is how they live.
The food is great, the people are friendly. There is also a very large Muslim North African community, some of whom are not as pleasant to Americans as one would like. You will also find lots and lots of British, some of whom actually commute from London.
You will have a grand time. Enjoy. And write often. For those who have never been, and for those who have been to often, it will be a thrill.
Best wishes all the way... God bless you and yours...
It will be fun to hear of your adventure...
I'm counting on our office over there to set me straight on various local rules and customs. Plus they said they would set me up with ex-Pats in the area. I have a feeling there will be some "experiences" to get through.
I hope your 2008 is filled with blessings, good health and much happiness.
As for the cell phone issue, as far as I understand, Europe is much more advanced than the U.S. is with cell phones and various plans so I would probably get one there.
Keep us posted - this is so exciting!
& a 15 year old returning from 4 years in Arabia.
I'd love to really see all that as an adult.
!!! Happy New Year's !!!
This seems like a grand move and can't wait to read more about it.
Happy New Year!
Health and happiness to you and yours,
Lora - good luck with your own move.
good-luck.
GSM network...okay, I'll check that out
My advice is to sign up for Vonage with your DC phone number and buy a v-phone; I got my v-phone on e-bay for about half of the retail price of $40.00; $21 including shipping. Then get a great high-speed internet service in your new home. Send me an email with your email address and I can send you an invite from Vonage (that gives me a free month of service!!).
With vonage, my friends in the US continue to call my Denver home phone number and it rings through my laptop here in France.
Having this phone system is a real bonus for dealing with various matters that will arise back in the US no matter how carefully you have planned your move. I think this is especially important if you are going to maintain clients in the US. I had some business dealings to wrap up after my move and it was such a relief to be able to simply dial them up, as if I were still in Denver....they never knew the difference!
I have the $25 per month unlimited calling plan, so all of my calls are free of long distance charges, whether to US numbers, or international numbers.
In addition, I have gotten a cell phone through a French company and have a very low cost pre-paid service. I also have a local home phone number in conjunction with my high speed internet service with Orange. I give my French phone numbers to businesses and friends in our new community.
With these three items, I am covered no matter where I go, as long as I have my v-phone and cell phone with me. I recently went to London for 10 days and enjoyed my US phone service through the free high speed internet connection at my hotel and with my cell phone whenever I was out sight seeing.
As far as decisions about "stuff," my move was linked to my desire to downsize and reorganize my life. So, I sold my home and almost all of my possessions. With the slump in real estate, the sale of the house was my biggest hold up....it took more than a year to sell....hopefully DC is a faster moving market.
Since I flew over with my ddaughter, I could check four bags without fees; I paid the airline to check extra bags and maxed out the weight of all the checked bags to 70 lbs each, paying overweight fees as well. Those charges, about $500 were cheaper than having the basics shipped. Just my most favorite things are stored in a 5'x10'x8' unit, awaiting shipping once I determine a more permanent residence.
Good luck!
Susan
My firm will pay to ship my stuff (work and home) to Brussels, though I think I need to ask them to pay for additional storage since I doubt my King bed and big couches will fit in a small apartment. Still, I definitely need to downsize my stuff.
I hope you have a glorious 2008!
Blessings on your new Journey.
Rene A.
Use French when ever you can, most people speak English but admires any one who makes the effort.
I bought Rosetta Stone and started learning French yesterday.
also, i just found this book:
the expert expat - your guide to successful relocation abroad - by melissa brayer hess and patricia linderman, (revised edition, 2007); nicholas brearley publishing.
i'll keep thinking!! good luck!
Very intertesting. As the world continues to get smaller, I wonder how long it will before moving to a place like Brussels will be no more complicated than moving state to state is here. Good Luck !
If you are inclided to watch, here's the link to the new Corn Dog Video.
Corn Dog Video # 4