The Expat Life in Panama

I've covered a lot of different blogs and articles about a lot of different places to live and work around the world. Going back and looking at the posts, I'm starting to realize that I've been a little bit Euro and Asian-centric in my focus . . . but a lot of that has to do with the general types of stories covered in the news. That's part of the reason I was so happy to come across a lovely little article about the expat life in Panama.

Sure, it's nearly impossible to capture such a wide-ranging experience as living abroad in a single article or blog post, but I think that this particular author does a good job of breaking down the general vibe of day to day life in her Home away from Home. It's a fun read and a nice note to end the week on. I hope that everyone has a great weekend. Cheers.

Spain Loves the Zohan

Here's an interesting bit of Moishe's International/Expat/Foreign culture related news for the day - I just came across an amusing little story on LA-based media blog, Defamer, on the inexplicable draw Spaniards have been feeling towards the latest Adam Sandler film, You Don't Mess with the Zohan. This figures into Moishe's because a handful of our trucks and movers here in New York were featured prominently in the final third of the film (we even got a name drop in The New Yorker!). As it were, citizens of Spain have taken a liking to the film and have flocked to see it two or three times in some cases. If you haven't seen the film yet, you can learn more about it by following the link on Moishe's Home Page. I've also linked to the Defamer blog near the top of this post. Enjoy!

The Life of an Expat

There's a great column in the Times Online out of England on one English family's move from the South of France to the far-off and extremely foreign land of Abu Dhabi. It's an especially interesting take, because it highlights in great detail that not all expat experiences are alike. Move from a Western country to another is not going to be as drastic a change as say, going from the US to Japan. Even someone like the author of this column who was already living outside of the country can find it difficult to make a jump to a culture as different as day-to-day life in the Middle East. Interesting side note to the post, at the end of the article she points out that roughly 200,000 Britons have moved overseas in the past 12 months. That is quite a large number indeed.

Addicted to Expat Assignments

The Telegraph in the UK ran a fun, extremely well thought out article on how and why many people sent on expat assignments for work end up finding it hard to let go of the lifestyle. Becoming addicted to the fancy free, exciting life that often goes hand-in-hand with international assignments is a common occurrence, and this article goes point by point to explain why it happens to so many expats around the world. Whether you're seduced by the good pay, the exciting jet setting, the elevated status of your position or all of the cool new people expats get to meet - it's not hard to see why the expat life is so popular in culture today.

Exit Tax Makes Leaving the States Difficult

According to a recent article in the Economic Times, a change in federal taxing code in the US now makes it exponentially more difficult for permanent expats in the country to leave when and if they want to. The tax change, referred to as an exit tax, is not based on economic earning like in most other countries, but instead on a world wide income - no matter where their original home country may be. The exit tax took effect in June and will impact anyone who decides to give up their green card or citizenship of the US. The finer points get a little complicated, so I suggest following the link at the top of the post to fill yourself in on all of the nitty-gritty details. Interesting, indeed.

Living Abroad and Loving It

Business Week ran a story earlier today about one Dutch Executive who threw his name in the hat for an expat position and got everything he could have hoped for. His top choice for a move was Canada . . . followed closely by Italy and Brazil - but he and his family ultimately ended up in the US. The article breaks down Herman van Barneveld's story into three main parts; An introduction, a crash course in English language and American Culture, and the return trip back to the Netherlands. I think it provides a brief but accurate look at the expat experience from start to finish. Follow the link at the top of the post to read the entire article.

How Much Does an Overseas Move Cost

The answer to the how much an overseas move costs is one of those . . . "it depends" situations. Depending upon when, where you're moving from, where you're moving to and how many belongings you have - it can range from extremely affordable to a little on the pricey side.

Cost is based mainly on the volume and weight of your international shipment. There are ways to determine an estimated cost in advance. On small international shipments we can determine an estimated cost by analyzing your list of items to be packed and shipped. The more details you can supply, the more precise we can be with our free moving quote. On larger shipments we will perform a free survey of your shipment to determine your shipping requirements and the size of your shipment. If you're planning a move sometime soon, you can get a free quote on our website.