3. Get the details in place ahead of time.
While you’ll have your spouse’s military dislocation allowance to help, you know that moving is expensive. Plan ahead to build up some savings if at all possible.
Other things to take care ahead of time: make sure your driver’s license is up to date because you won’t be able to get an overseas license if your stateside one is expired, the myriad of passports and paperwork (find some helpful overseas checklists here), and ensuring your pet’s records and shots are current.
Your overseas sponsor can be a great help as you prepare, as will other military families who’ve been there.
4. Be prepared to have your mind blown.
If living overseas is good for anything, one thing is certain. It has a tendency to rock your world and jolt you out of the provincial mindset that many of us inadvertently fall into over time.
But, it’s not all inconvenience and homesickness. At some point, whether standing on a mountain in the Alps, snorkeling in the waters of the Pacific, sipping coffee at a sidewalk cafe’ in Germany, or having a fabulous experience somewhere else entirely, you’ll pinch yourself and say, “I can’t believe we get to live here!”
And with that, you know…
5. You’ll never be the same.
I can’t wait to hear about your overseas adventures!
