Welcome to the course. In this lesson I'll let you more about who I am and how I can help you make your next move less stressful and more fun!

I've aimed to make this course to be an indispensable resource and empathetic companion for anyone about to make a major move. Please take a moment to learn more about how I structured the course and my teaching style so you can be sure it is the right course for you.

This optional lesson is for anyone still waiting to find out where they might be moving to (because of a job, for a loved one, going to university, etc.) It's also for anyone who has just found out they are moving and who are still trying to cope with and digest the big news.

Here are my best tips along with a few stories from my own experiences when I first learned I was moving to Rome, Italy and later Yangon, Myanmar.

*Have a look at my blog post I wrote the day I learned I was moving to Myanmar in the downloads/resources section.

This lesson will help you avoid upsetting your closest family and friends by ensuring you share your news the right way.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Lao Tzu

And the most important single step you can take at the start of your journey is to learn as much as you can about your new home before you arrive.

This lesson will help you get started finding important resources that will help you be in the know for when you arrive at your new home.

In this activity, students will get a lot of places to start when preparing for their upcoming move

This lesson is all about embracing the things you will be leaving behind so you can move forward. It also is about letting go of perfectionism. Remember as your mantra while you prepare for your trip: "Progress! Not perfection."

Because thoughts precede anything that we do, it's important to be aware of how our thoughts reflect actual reality and the future. This lesson is about learning to visualize an ideal move and life situation after your move so that what you want actually has a better chance of materializing in your actual reality.

In this lesson I will help you get started with Creative Visualization. 

It's one of my top pieces of advice to make an effort to learn at least some of the local language wherever it is that you are moving.

If you are a visual learner, use an app like Rosetta Stone or Duo Lingo. If you prefer to learn while exercising, cleaning, or driving, try an audio program or download some language podcasts. Books, movies, music, and live language partners via Skype online are also great options for getting started. Make it fun!

I find that learning and speaking the local language wherever you move to pays off 1000% later on in the form of goodwill. People will start giving you "the local discount" on taxi fares and in the market. They will think of you as someone respectful enough to speak in the native tongue and this can make your entire time in your new country that much more friendly and pleasant. 

Honestly, it's like a secret handshake! Plus, um... don't you want to be able to get around and be more self sufficient? I know I always do.

Going through paperwork and organizing it is a total snore right? Well maybe. But there is a hidden fun side to tackling your paperwork before your big move. Let me show you how it can also be a treasure hunt.

At this point in your planning, you may be getting overwhelmed. The trick is to focus on what is just ahead of you, not the huge mountain you still have to climb. Prioritize your most important tasks and try not to obsess about the rest.

This lesson will share how you can get organized creatively in a way that's fun but also efficient using Gen AI technologies with the FREE Goblin Tools.

Your upcoming move is not just stressful for you. It also has an effect on your four-legged family members as well. This lesson will discuss how your pets can sense change is coming and how you might best help them cope.

Children also need to cope with the upcoming move. Here are my top tips for helping them through the transition. 

Here is a lovely, simple, and effective 60 second meditation created by
Gabrielle Bernstein that you or your kids can do anytime, anywhere.

Looking for a place to live far away from where you'll actually be living does not need to be scary. Here are my top tips for organizing your housing from afar and what to do right after your arrival.

In this activity I give you homework you will actually love: Go do something nice for yourself. You deserve it!

Getting rid of things you won't be taking with you can feel SO good on so many levels. First, you will feel lighter and more free. Second, you get a chance to donate to others who could really benefit from your old things and that feels great. Pay it forward!

Getting your jabs doesn't have to be such a drag. I like to tell my kids that the vaccinations we need will make us "superhuman" and able to resist all kinds of illnesses. Make time well in advance of your move to schedule any vaccinations you and your family might need as well as final doctor and dental appointments in your soon to be old locale.

This lesson will show you a few neat packing tricks and also explain why you might be getting more nervous as your big move approaches.

In this lesson we'll talk about the importance of planning to pack a few "comfort items" such as toiletries, favorite foods, etc that you are not sure you will find in your new locale. 

This lesson provides a quick and dirty rundown of the main "loose ends" you need to be concerned about before you move. In the lesson after this you will also find a downloadable cheat sheet you can use to help keep yourself on track.

This is a quick cheat sheet to help you stay on track for tying up loose ends before you move.

In this lesson I'll talk a little bit about what awaits you a few days before the move and introduce the next videos.

If you'd like to see what chaos awaits you several days before your move, this video is for you. Please note that my video quality gets worse the closer to the move as the big day approached. I blame it on stress, but also the fact that at the end, I had to finally pack up the good mic and webcam. I hope you will forgive me for those next few videos.

In this video you'll get a sense of how to prepare before a moving company arrives. Ours (Panda Exporti) did much of the packing up for us, so really I just had to be there to point out what to box up and how to label the boxes. They did accidentally pack up my sons favorite night light sea horses so that was a drama we had to deal with after they left... (*So hide your kid's favorite "blankie" or whatever and make sure you have it with you to prevent tears.)

Our apartment in Rome came mostly furnished which is why you don't see many large items like the beds, closets, and tables being taken away. 

This was my first experience using a moving company. It certainly made life much easier in ways. That said, I recommend NOT bringing too much furniture to wherever you are going. It's easier just to buy new items once you arrive. Often you can get excellent deals on Facebook groups when expats are having their "moving sales."

We're getting close to our big move. In this video, the moving company has already come, our boxes and most of our things have been taken away to be loaded on a slow boat to Yangon, and we are gearing up for moving day. here are a few insights and tips from my sons, Lukas and Nico.

You've been working so hard. Let's take a moment to throw ourselves a going away party to celebrate the friends and family we already have wherever we already are. 

The big day is here. Here are some tips for becoming the EYE OF THE STORM.

I still can't believe I had enough energy to make a video on the actual day of the move, but here it is. Some tips for the big day include taking deep breaths and visualizing everything going well, not waking the kids until about 30 minutes before you need to go, catching the cat and giving yourself extra time in case he escapes, and just living in the moment and letting the day unfold as it will.

You've GOT this! Go! Go! GO!

Did you make it? Here are some insights and tips for right after arrival.

Here is a flashback video made just hours after landing in Myanmar. Phew! I was so tired but my kids were wired.

In this lesson the boys show our new home and that we all survived. If you want to see more videos of how we adjusted to our new home right after the move, please look at the Youtube video links in the resources section.

As a free gift that will help you on your journey, I'd like to give you the first book in the Free At Last series for FREE.

Are you ready to go global? Whether you are firmly planted in your familiar hometown or are already making plans for your exotic wedding in India next December, this book will help you connect with this great and wonderful world that we share with 7 billion+ others in your own way, in your own time, and at your own pace.

Download Free At Last: Live, Love, and Work Abroad as a 21st Century Global Citizen today. (*Click on the resources tab.)

In this extra lesson I interviewed my sons, Lukas and Nico (ages 7 and 5). I asked them how they are doing after their big move and what they most like about their new country and home.

In this current economic funk, it makes more sense than ever to not put all your eggs in one basket. Why not experiment with creating several or more income generation streams and start creatively earning money using online tools? These are things that can be done from anywhere and can be a great way to make the transition to work abroad.

This is a new video I made as part of a collaboration with fabulous accomplished location-independent artist and fellow Mastrius mentor, Shannon Amey. She is teaching a course at Mastrius (a mentorship website for artists) called Discover the Secrets of Artistic Prosperity: Develop Multiple Income Streams for a Thriving Art Career.

I thought it was also relevant to expats (or soon-to-be) in this course who want to get a better idea on how to be more resilient in their new home, especially when it comes to work and financial matters.

Thanks so much for taking this course. Please let me know if I can help you with anything or answer any questions. Please also consider leaving a rating or review. Your feedback helps others know if this might be a good course for them.

In this lesson you can find more of my courses (free samples and discounts) as well as my books on Amazon, and how to stay in touch via social media.