Moving to another country, leaving behind your old life and starting a new one can be quite stressful, so it’s important to prepare in detail and gather all the information that could make the moving process a bit easier.
A good source of information you might need can be found on different forums and groups on social media, where people gather to exchange experiences. This type of networking and information exchange are really helpful for starting a new life in another state. Although, very often some important information gets lost.
If the country of your choice is the good old USA, our guide will provide you with all the things you need to know, to realistically form your expectations of this country. They will help you prepare and point out what are the important things to have in mind when you finally land.
1. Get rid of the unnecessary stuff, before packing
This is the number one complication you encounter when packing to move to another country. What will you need there? Can you live without this precious thing? Most of the things we end up emotionally attaching to, and when it’s time to say goodbye, even if they do not have the use, we drag them around. Don’t do this, if you’re moving to the USA, because you need all the space in your luggage you can get.
Here’s a suggestion of a small ritual you can do, which will symbolize the new beginning. Take some object you find particularly dear, throw it to the garbage, or out the window. This ritual will prepare you emotionally for what’s going to happen.
A following useful thing is to divide your stuff into three categories – those you have to carry, those you can sell, and those you can give away or throw. It is important to put your emotions aside and objectively think things through, no matter how hard it might be. Before you decide to throw things out, invite your friends and family to take a look, someone might need it. By selling some of the things you can ensure some extra money for the new beginning.
2. Hire a moving service
Now that you’ve decided what to pack and carry with you and what to leave behind, another type of stress appears. With all that personal belongings, how can you check-in at the airport and take them as excess baggage, and when finally land in the USA grab a hold of all those packages and transport them to your new home you are moving in to? Just looking at all those things makes you nervous. One solution would be to send them via postal services but if you wish to bring home something large or if you have a large number of goods to send, postal services can be unreasonably expensive.
Luckily, many overseas moving agencies and companies have been working on making this less stressful as possible. Not only do they physically transport your belongings, but they also help you with customs clearance so that you can bringing in your belongings smoothly once they arrive at the destination. Some companies can help you even if you have only a small amount of goods. Read more on this page to see what are the specific terms, conditions, and how to hire their help for moving to the USA.
3. Paperwork is so not fun
Governments don’t care too much when you are moving within your own country, because you are still their problem and you continue paying tax too. But the situation changes when you decide to move abroad. The passport, the visa, evidence that you haven’t committed any crime, are just a couple of things in the frustrating process, which is inevitable.
Before the USA becomes your permanent place of residence, ask around (maybe in social media groups we already wrote about) t about which papers you need, make the list, and stick to it until the day of your departure.
4. Take care of your safety
Although you might think you know all about your new place of residence, be sure to collect all the facts and what is allowed and what is not, in the city you are moving in. Keep in mind that the USA is a large country, with fifty states that are completely different from each other. Starting from the climate to the customs and the laws.
Make your safety a priority at all times and always be on guard. Don’t just rush to rent an apartment that is located in the ghetto or some other unsafe part of the city. Not all the parks are safe for playing the guitar over a glass of vine.
Weapons are legal in some states, so don’t be surprised that your neighbor has a couple. It’s not always about their paranoia, but their love for the guns.
Traffic can also look funny if you are moving from Japan to the USA. From one side of the world to the other. In this case, you are most probably used to driving on the left, however, Americans are one of 75% of the globe that drives on the right side. No need to mention that all the vehicles are also adjusted to this style of driving. So, blending in the traffic can take some effort.
5.The USA has some of the most breath-taking national parks in the world
The USA is home to an amazing 59 national parks, which include canyons, coral reefs, forests, lakes, mountains, rivers, deserts, volcanoes, and glaciers. More or less, whatever nature you want to see, you will find it there.
Your new land of residence is home to places like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite Park, and Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls does not belong to the national parks but the “national heritage sites”, but it truly is a miracle of nature. Watching millions of gallons of water pouring from a boat just a few feet away from you while you’re in the middle of it is a scene that makes you shiver. Although waterfalls are magnificent at all times, you will likely visit them once in a lifetime so it is worth doing at a time when you will be able to experience them in the best way. To many, waterfalls are most beautiful just at night when they release a light show and it seems that the water is blue, purple, green…
