Housing Options
“Home sweet home.”
Mostly housing choices are out of your control. However, definitely confirm the details in advance, even before you sign the contract. I’ll summarize a few of the implications, the pluses and minuses, and questions to consider.
School-Supplied Housing
This can be a blessing, as you don’t need to waste time and mental energy searching. Perhaps you inherited from a departing teacher and made arrangements in advance to buy their stuff (teacher garage sale.) The school handles the utility setup and billing. Bingo, just hang your clothes in the armoire and you’re good to go.
Negatives? This housing might be sub-standard. The apartment might be on campus and you’d live in a fishbowl. Assignment of desirable units can be political and in the event you got lucky, you might be resented. Lastly, you have no choice in the matter.
Subsidy Provided
Subsidy may be provided but you find your own. Since you almost certainly do not speak the language fluently or have local knowledge, the school will assign you an agent. Then you can find what suits you best. This House Hunters International episode highlights one teacher’s experience in Tokyo with this model.
No way is this tub big enough!
Negatives? The hunt takes time, lots of it, just when you are trying to get settled and start work. What you prefer might be well above your budget and beware of the transportation issue; you don’t want to spend hours getting back and forth to school in hellish traffic.
Pay Out Of Pocket
The school provides little support and you pay out of your salary. Eek! Think twice about signing a contract under these conditions. ISR posted an informative discussion on this particular housing issue.
Red Flags
Keep your eyes open.
10-month housing contract, meaning you’d have to vacate during the summer. Who needs that?
Substandard (moldy, bad condition) or literally nothing livable in your price range available.
Hidden costs that pop up without warning. Check who pays water, utilities, and Internet.
The rental agreement in your name, not the school’s, which means you can be at the landlord’s mercy regarding repairs, safety, and deposit return.
The school might assign you shared housing with a random teacher of the same sex. Again, who needs that?
Mechanics of Getting Settled
“When you’re safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you’re having an adventure you wish you were safe at home. – Thornton Wilder”
OK. You are indeed having an adventure. But here’s a checklist to be sure you don’t forget anything important:
1. Register with the police – this is why you have a work visa. The school should arrange this.
2. Electricity and heat or A/C – occasionally, heat for the entire building goes on on the same date and you have no control.
3. Water – if you can’t flush the toilet paper, don’t drink the water.
4. Mail – may go through the school.
5. Internet and Wi-Fi – crucial to your well-being.
6. Food shopping – explore local markets and expat stores.
7. Paying bills – in school-supplied housing, you never even see the bills.
8. Cash and banking – where and how. More on this in MONEY.
In the best case your school agent and new teacher mentor deal with all this. If not, you will have to make the arrangements, be present at the housing to let in workers, plus all picky details of renting.
Scenarios For Outfitting Your Home Overseas
1. You inherited a more or less completely outfitted apartment or made use of the teacher garage sale before you left, so you’re covered. You made contact with current or departing teachers to ask what you should ship. Good on you for preparing in advance. As always Amanda has pertinent and detailed advice, like be sure bring a Halloween costume. Who knew?
2. School housing has the basics and you are provided with a relocation allowance and taken on field trips to stores where you can finish outfitting the place.
3. Neither 1 nor 2, so you’re on your own and have to scramble.
It is almost impossible to overstate how important your home will be as a refuge and sanctuary. So prepare as well as you can in advance.
Note: do not take privacy for granted. An American landlord is required to give 24-hour notice and usually does. In Russia the FSB (formerly KGB) can make its agents at home in your apartment while you’re at work, listen in, and otherwise snoop freely. Several female teachers who lived alone would return in the evening and find the toilet seat up and coffee cups in the sink. Get over it.
Too bad they don’t vacuum and tidy up while they’re snooping.
Moving Pets Overseas
““That’s good chicken. No, it’s good dog.”
-Micronesian villager to Peace Corps Volunteer”
Cultural Norms
Attitudes towards pets, particularly dogs, are country-specific. In Austria, for instance, dogs are coddled; in less-developed countries, street dogs may run in feral packs and pet owners are considered nuts.
America’s love of pets has grown exponentially and many international school teachers will bring/want to bring their pet. But as always, do your research in advance.
Can You Take Your Pet Overseas?
Let’s start with worst-case scenario.
1. It simply may not be possible. Some countries/ schools refuse to permit entry to certain pets or breeds, period.
2. Sometimes it’s easy-peasy. France loves its dogs and you might find yourself with Fido in a sidewalk café without a lot of trouble.
3. The process is not easy or cheap, but it can be done.
In each of these instances, you must do your research early. If Fido or Fluffy is a member of your family, confirm details with the school and study the country’s regulations before you sign a contract. Some issues are country-specific and some are school-specific. Make sure you deal with each.
#1 – Not Possible.
Before you even begin recruiting, research the breed you hope to bring with you. It could be the breed is banned, or quarantine is so restrictive that it would be cruel.
Once you have decided to interview with a particular school, clarify their policy on pets. Be up front and don’t waste their time and yours.
It may be that the landlord for school housing does not permit pets. The school may say ‘no pets’ and they pay your salary. It may be the administration has had bad experiences with troublesome pets and won’t hire you.
But if the answer is “sure, we hire people with pets,” then go to #2 or #3
#2 Easy
Either no quarantine or very short, a reasonably inexpensive process, pet-friendly city, suitable housing. But be sure to Google living conditions for pets in general.
Are there dog parks? A decent place to walk the dog?
Can the animal ride on public transport?
Are pet sitters available? What about summer and other vacations?
Will I need a yard? Can cats be let outside?
Is the climate too difficult? (Think Russia or Dubai)
What are vaccination requirements and availability of veterinary services?
#3 Not Easy Or Cheap But Can Be Done
There will be a lot of bureaucratic and organizational hoops, and be sure you have the cash to cover expenses. I’ve heard instances of up to $5,000.
But many teachers have successfully shipped their pets; it can be done. Companies like PetRelocation specialize in these details if you don’t want to do it on your own. The best piece of advice is to confer with school staff who have transported and now live with their pets. What is their experience?
Transportation Mechanics
“Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet. - Colette”
Study this discussion from teachers who have gone through the process. Pay particular attention to their description of the preparatory work involved and how complex it can be. Again, you can pay a service or do the legwork on your own.
1. Shipping crate preparation
2. Health papers and vaccinations required
3. Airline choice and route
4. Temperature restrictions
5. Checked luggage or cargo?
What Is Best For the Animal
The comments in this discussion are illuminating and some of the stories terribly sad. But if transporting your pet isn’t possible, there are typically plenty of adoption and fostering opportunities to fill the void.
But above all else, keep the animal’s best interests as your top priority. You want to leave a Newfoundland alone all day in a 390 square foot apartment? Or provide kitty with an unhappy new lifestyle?
Everyday Concerns Like Food and Water
“ “Don’t drink the water!””
You’ve made it through the first days and your house is more or less set up to your satisfaction. You are even awaiting the arrival of your shipment in about 6 weeks. Time to organize the basics of everyday living.
Water and Bathrooms
Verify that this is a safe behavior.
Let’s start with water, which you should research ahead of time. “If you can’t flush the toilet paper, you can’t drink the water.” In the developing world drinking local water can be life-threatening,
With any luck, the school will provide bottled water for your housing; in Russia trucks came by with 5 gallon water bottles and installed them in a dispenser in our kitchen.
Or you may get lucky and tap water is fine. Just confirm. And before you rely on disposable plastic water bottles, consider the environmental impact and use your own bottle, please.
Other bathroom features might be different than what you are accustomed to but might actually be an improvement. The toilet may be in a tiny separate room; water in the bath/shower may be heated with a wall-mounted water heater.
Toilets come in a dizzying array of layouts, but just remember that these differences are why you left home in the first place.
Food Shopping Overseas
Options to keep yourself fed:
Our “pickle lady” at the reenok (farmer’s market) in Moscow.
1. Local market including farmer’s markets - explore your neighborhood. This is where your exotic new life comes into focus. If you are a foodie and like to cook, become a regular.
2. Local shops will be an adventure. In Russia there were 20 flavored vodkas and loads of root vegetables. In Dubai the row of olives and the fruit juice display seemed to stretch the length of a football field.
In many countries the default is daily grocery shopping and schlepping the bags back home. But this way of life seems to be vanishing in favor of large supermarkets.
3. Shops catering to expats – you are bound to pay more, a lot more, but the staff will speak English and you are likely to recognize items.
4. Superstores – if you have access to a car and adequate storage, this might work. Or perhaps a colleague would take you along on a shopping trip. These Walmart sort of superstores are becoming more and more common.
5. Eat on campus – if you work at a boarding school, you can always eat with the kids. But it gets tiresome after a while.
6. Eat out – this can get expensive and it is easy to fall into the same expat restaurants over and over. McDonalds and its ilk are worldwide.
7. Get a cook – it depends, but this person can take care of the day-to-day grind and get a much better deal at the markets.
Food Cravings (and Children)
You (and your family) will absolutely be overcome with the deep need for comfort food on occasion. You and/or your children may have particular dietary requirements or worse, be picky eaters. So let’s strategize.
1. You cannot possibly take enough peanut butter to last two years. So you can either do without, buy Nutella, score a local source, or make your own. Peanut butter is, after all, just ground peanuts with salt and honey. In other words - be flexible and buy a grinder.
2. If you need to be gluten-free or have other restrictions, you might very well be better off in certain culinary traditions. India anyone? But do your research in advance.
3. Children mirror mom and dad’s attitudes. If you express culture shock through picky eating, your kids will probably do the same. That’s OK now and again, but you won’t last if you don’t pull up your socks.
Medical Care Overseas
“Plan for the worst and hope for the best.”
In CONTRACTS you should have verified exactly what your medical benefit covers or does not cover. But verify these details.
o Deductibles?
o Reimbursement scheme or insurance billed?
o Travel coverage? Out-of-country coverage?
o Limits and exclusions?
o Evacuation coverage?
o Dependents coverage? Pregnancy and childbirth?
o Disability or major illness?
I hate to be depressing, but medical insurance is all about the worst case scenario. Just hope you never need to test the limits of your coverage, but read the fine print to avoid nasty surprises.
Plan Ahead In Advance Of Need
Two issues you need to sort right away:
1. What happens if an emergency occurs? Is there a 911 system? Does the school or Embassy have emergency contacts? Find out and put this number on speed dial.
2. What if you have a pre-existing condition and require medication or treatment? Find out if you can bring the medicine into the country or if there is a local substitute; inquire about getting a physician.
Medical Tourism
You might be surprised to learn which countries have been ranked best healthcare. Expat teachers will be in a separate Western hospital/doctor system, most likely.
I needed an emergency eye treatment in Thailand and the doctor had trained in Boston. In Oman the emergency room stitched a bad cut for free and the staff spoke English. Ditto in France when my brother injured his eye.
Self-Care
Above all else, take care of yourself.
o Get plenty of exercise even if the traffic/weather/filth/crowds/pollution are too bad for outdoor exercise and you have to use a gym.
o Avoid self-medicating with too much alcohol or with drugs.
o Don’t short yourself on sleep; make your bedroom as quiet and soothing as possible.
o Cultivate your support network.
Same old, same old advice, of course, but it’s far more crucial while you are adapting to a brand new way of life far from home.
Technology Basics
“We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works. - Douglas Adams”
Electricity
If a solar flare destroyed the electrical grid (SEE Dystopian fiction) technology and its blessings would end. So if you expect to maintain a 21st century lifestyle overseas, confirm the reliability of the electrical grid before your departure.
French plugs
Also verify the power system (most likely 220 V) and plugs. Generally speaking, laptop computers can switch seamlessly between 110 and 220 volts.
Small household appliances, not so much. Printers, hair dryers, kitchen appliances? Best to skip buying adapters and 30 pound transformers and just buy locally, or better yet, buy from departing teachers in the teacher garage sale.
Internet
Network and Internet reliability are local and unique to your school and city. As always, try to confirm the situation in advance. Some schools did not invest in a fast, reliable network and staff the IT department with capable people, meaning those big dreams of interactive whiteboards in the classroom and streaming Netflix at home are just that – dreams.
Always remember there is a difference between PR and reality, so take the school website with a big lick on the salt block in this regard and trust but verify.
Censorship and Security Overseas
The next issue is national and even global. Some countries don’t give a hoot about free speech and they censor or block information on the web. Google, YouTube, Facebook, news sites, and Twitter may even be blocked. What a time-saver. Just prepare yourself.
Some countries are hacker heavens and you’d be wise to take security into account. The only defense users really have is to pay for a VPN (virtual private network) which hides your IP address and encrypts all the data you send and receive.
It’s not perfect but it helps. VPN is a good idea even at home, but particularly out in a public unsecured coffee-shop WIFI setting, especially online banking. Ounce of prevention…
Backups and Password Managers
A word about the most crucial failsafe of all: backup. It is not a matter of whether your hard drive will fail, but when.
If you want an instant headache, imagine the disaster your life will become when failure occurs and you did not backup properly: 15,000 photos lost/ five years’ worth of brilliant lesson plans/ financial records/ and so forth. Experts suggest the rule of three.
1. Make three copies.
2. Use two different formats minimum like an external hard drive + Dropbox or Backblaze in the Cloud.
3. Store one copy off-site and or even on paper.
And of course your best computer friend is the password manager, if you don’t already use one. It’s a jungle out there and along with a VPN, these tools provide another level of protection.
Staying In Touch
““Distance sometimes lets you know who is worth keeping, and who is worth letting go. - Lana Del Rey”
Cell Phones
As always, do your homework first. Cell phone issues differ when you are a traveler as opposed to a resident.
o Want to keep your current phone number? Can your phone be unlocked? Check with your current carrier. Typically you have to own the phone.
o What do teachers at your school use for cell phones? What about a local SIM card?
o Would you want to be tied to a two-year contract? In some countries, you will need to prove you’ve paid it off before receiving an exit visa.
o What about when you are traveling and not at your new school? This advice is from Rick Steves, the PBS travel-guru.
Electronic Mail
Communicating with family and friends is a long long way from aerograms and waiting two hours at the local post office for a 3-minute phone call. We are so lucky today. FaceTime, Skype, email, blogs – there is no excuse for not being in touch, as long as you have a good internet connection.
Paper, Physical Mail, and Packages
As always, it depends. Sometimes letters and packages need to go through diplomatic pouch. Sometimes mail and packages will come directly to your home or the school. Or maybe you do without altogether.
In some countries corruption rules and customs workers may view your package like a Christmas present, so the item may or may not arrive in one piece, or ever.
Amazon, FedEx, and UPS do ship internationally but not everywhere; check with your school on delivery options. Be aware of customs regulations and duties. And of course, international shipping will cost a lot more than you are used to.
Social Media
More on this later, but let’s just be clear – it’s a jungle out there. Remind yourself that social media provides zero expectation of privacy. You may post a blog with opinions you may regret later and these words will follow you forever. Caveat Emptor.
Transportation
“You won’t need to go to the gym
to get your heartrate up.
”
Options For Getting Around
Let’s run through your choices, from easiest to most “exciting”:
1. If you live on campus at a boarding school, just walk to work and go home for lunch. Even so you will need to get into town or go traveling on breaks; that means car-sharing, renting a vehicle, or taking public transport.
2. School-provided transportation could mean a bus to take teachers to and from school housing every work day.
3. Public transportation infrastructure is frequently much better overseas, and the typical big-city resident won’t even own a car. Automobiles are too expensive, for one thing.
4. Hire a driver. Sure, it’s expensive but it is also stress-free and provides employment to a local.
5. Buy a car or motorcycle. Maximum independence. After all, you teach overseas to explore, don’t you?
Car Ownership
For us this ranged from a Samoan car so rusted we could see the road through the holes in the floor to a bright green Jeep for dune-bashing in Dubai. We had two accidents in Thailand where they drive on the left, but otherwise emerged unscathed and do not regret buying a car and driving.
Some things to watch out for:
1. Get local advice to help with the purchase and someone you can trust. Ask around school.
2. Buy a common car, nothing fancy or unusual or flashy. You’re going to be a target anyway with your expat license plates.
3. City streets can be narrow and parking spaces tiny, so keep size in mind.
4. Some countries permit driving on your American license but some require driving lessons and road tests, which can be a royal hassle, but interesting. Check before you go to see if an international driver’s permit from AAA will do the trick.
Cultural Norms
Getting to work might end up being the most exciting part of your day and not in a good way. In some countries you will learn the true meaning of defensive driving. As always it’s a jungle out there, in some countries more than others. Be careful. Below are my evaluation of various driving environments I lived through:
Lawless, chaotic, and downright dangerous. That was Moscow. Way too many vehicles, a culture of corruption and entitlement, and inexperienced drivers produced a toxic brew.
A sense of fatalism and entitlement, plus big heavy expensive cars and drivers who trusted to Allah and not traffic regulations to keep them safe. That was Dubai.
A relaxed Buddhist go-with-the-flow attitude seemed to make traffic flow by magic, except for the horrendous traffic death numbers. That was Chiang Mai, Thailand.
A Teutonic adherence to order made the roads very safe, if somewhat anal. That was Vienna.
Moving On
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. -Alibert Einstein”
Occasionally expats may find the place they were meant to be and spend the rest of their lives there. Most of you, however, will sooner or later be moving on.
Let’s start with the most common reason for departure, meaning a new overseas school. Then we will move down the list to the least common reason (evacuation, either medical or political).
Basic Advice
1. Plan as far in advance as possible.
2. Set aside money in savings. These moves require liquidity.
Next School
You just perform the moving process all over again, but backwards. For instance you are not the one buying from the garage sale but the one selling or giving things away.
You have been through the shipping allowance experience, so none of this will be as stressful as the first time.
Keep an eye on the recruiting calendar, meaning that the autumn of Year Two (or Three or Four) you will need to give notice and start looking.
Since you are overseas already, you may be able to attend an overseas fair in Bangkok, for instance. Or you may have developed enough contacts that you can recruit directly or digitally.
2. Home For The Summer, Or Not
This is the default, especially for families. Grandma and grandpa want time with those kids, plus there is a lot of shopping and visiting to do. You will want to reconnect with friends and go camping/rock-climbing and other things you cannot do in Dubai, for instance.
Home for the summer with friends, family, and familiar pleasures.
Or you can just stay and travel like a relaxed tourist in the wonderful place you call home. Visitors can be expected no doubt, and it’s a lot easier to host when you are not working. Conditions like weather might make this too difficult, of course, depending on where you live (rainy season/extreme heat/hordes of tourists.)
Your Apartment During Summer Break
You can leave the apartment vacant and arrange for the guards, your cleaner or some school staff member to keep an eye out; be sure to pay them generously.
Depending on where you live, you might be able to arrange a house exchange. Teachers from Mumbai spent three weeks in my house summer 2019, for instance, and I just had a request from Barcelona teachers in 2021.
Maybe an overseas teacher from elsewhere might want to stay in your apartment; put out the word on the grapevine.
Some low-end school housing allowance only covers the school year and you must relocate for the summer. The cure for this is to (a) confirm the details in advance and (b) don’t take that job.
3. Breaking Contract
Sometimes the school is just too awful or health issues or a family emergency arise, and you need to skip town. The bottom line is that the administration will not be inclined to be helpful or cough up money.
You’re on your own. This is when you will need teacher and staff allies to help you. Also be careful about regulations for an exit visa, or you might not get out of the airport.
4. Evacuation
Once in a great while, a natural or political disaster means the school needs to evacuate for safety. Think of Paradise, CA and how little time residents had to flee. If this sort of evacuation seems even faintly possible, prepare yourself with a safe bag.
1. Important papers, especially passport and laptop with backups
2. Cash (several hundred dollars or Euros in small bills)
3. Small suitcase with the most necessary items.
5. Home For Good
This can mean either retirement in your home country or overseas where things are cheaper, or going back to work stateside. Since in this instance you fulfilled the contract, the school will provide transportation and shipping, as per the contract.
Details That Can Derail Your Move Home From Overseas
Follow the advice of the business office to the letter regarding cancellation of contracts/rental agreement and deposits/car payments/and so forth.
You have to pay your final bills and prove it. Schools typically have favorable arrangements with landlords and do not want to jeopardize future business.
You’ll be selling or giving away all sorts of things either you won’t need or do not have the shipping allowance to take home with you.
Some shipping advice? Remember that your stuff will arrive back home weeks or even months later. Decide how long you wish to live without your household goods overseas.
Note: There are tax implications regarding bona-fide international residents i.e. staying out of the country a certain number of days . Go sit on a beach somewhere to make the yearly minimum and avoid paying US taxes. More on this later in MONEY.
But for now you live in a new world, the Expat world. You’re an official member of this tribe.