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what's left over can be donated to charity, so everyone is a winner. Organize a "Garage Sale". It's an excellent way to off-load a variety of household items. Then once you have lightened the load you will be able to get a clearer picture of the financial logistics of the move i.e. air, land or sea options.

Equally important is finalizing electricity, telephone bills and cut off dates or any other financial commitments you have so there is a clean slate and not "just another thing you forgot to do prior to leaving". You might say that this is an obvious thing to do but when your snowed under and time is running out it is easy to forget. This is why I'm an advocate of "To Do Lists". There is always so much going on when anyone re-locates, and if you have something to refer to, then your less likely to forget something important, remembering only when your in transit or more aptly put, after the horse has bolted.

Find out as much as you can about where you will be living. Knowledge is power and most places on earth can be Googled so you can literally get a birds eye view of your new abode if you haven't had the opportunity to do a reccy prior to making the move. While I have found that most countries in Europe and Asia will accept an existing driver's license from most nationalities, this does not apply to everyone however, so I am a big fan of getting the extra endorsement of an International Driver's License which is usually valid for a year. Then if you do get pulled over, it can be the trump card in having a nice day instead of digging deep into your pocket by having to pay a hefty on the spot fine or bribe, depending on what country your in of course, usually for some misdemeanor as stopping your vehicle on the yellow line instead of the white.

No matter where we are in the world, most places nowadays have the technology which allows us to keep in touch with family and friends far and wide. Phone cards in foreign countries are relatively cheap and there is nothing more comforting than hearing the voice of someone you love. Also there are so many airlines offering cheap flights to most destinations so visits can be a reality and at one stage we had friends who actually arrived in Malaysia for a visit one week before we did! I have always found that if the door is always open for family and friends to visit then saying goodbye is not such a daunting thing.

If you are moving interstate in your own country make sure if you are about to embark on a long haul drive, start your journey re-freshed and not fatigued. Remember Murphy's Law!

Learn more about this author, Sharron Becquet-Rasmussen.
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