Moving..

Moving House let alone country can be a scary thought. Having moved to 10 different countries and countless houses I have become some what a pro at moving. In-fact so much so I get itchy feet every 2 years and want to move again.
I have put some of my top tips down for anyone who is moving country or to a new area.

MAKE LISTS: First thing to do when you are moving country/ or moving some where new is to write a list of things to do. So you can keep on track of what has to be done and tick them off once you have done them.  It helps you to stay on top of things when everything goes in to what I call limbo land.

When looking for a new place to live, phone the local police station and ask about the safety of the neighbour hood. Find out what your street is like. As a mother safety is number one priority. You want to make sure you are bringing your family up in the nicest possible area that you can afford.

Find out where the Doctor surgery is also if you can look up your local supermarket, shopping mall, leisure center, cinema complex it will also help you feel like your getting to know your area.

Find out what play groups or coffee mornings are on in your local health center. One of the most important things to do when you move is to get our and meet other new mums. It can become very lonely when you first move so the sooner you get out to meet people the better. Other mums in the area can also be a wealth of information for things to do with your little ones. There is always an expat who has set up some sort of coffee morning or tennis morning in foreign countries and they are only to happy to have another person to come around.
Expat communities are great in foreign countries they all know what its like to move and you become fast friends as you are all in the same boat.

Go on to google maps and get to know your area. You can actually walk down your new street and see your new house.

If your moving to a new country where they speak a different language  . Get an english/french or spanish/ or Korean dictionary so you can learn the basic words you need to get around. Hello, Good bye, thank you, Please,  How much. ect

Get to know the new culture your about to embrace. I remember moving to Korea when I was 14, we looked up what some of their customs, one of them is when saying hello is to put your hands together and bow as you say hello. They really appreciate that we respected their culture and were very impressed.

and finally..

Relax, let the movers move all your stuff, think of the new adventures and all of the new friends you and your family are going to make in your new home.

Hope this helps a little

lots of love