Ladies who live abroad talk to me please

[iammalcolmx]

I don't live abroad but I am VERY VERY familiar with Expat assignments. PM me if you have questions if I can't answer I will ask my friends doing an Expat assignment in Sydney right now. Off the bat your number one concern is how the company is going to handle your taxes and the amount you get for housing and all expenses associated with that.

Meanwhile Cicero origami

[meggers5]

I lived abroad for a couple of years, and will again soon. If it is something you can swing, I will always tell people to do it. I went by choice and not for work, but it the best thing I have ever done for myself.

It's an amazing experience to become part of a culture somewhere you are not familiar with. It will be great for K (a teenager?) to see you guys take a leap and try something you're afraid of, and she'll be able to see how rewarding it is.

As for the actual logistics, I hope his company takes care of all of that, but whether or not I think you should do it, absolutely.

[dottyblue]

What an amazing opportunity.

Please just make sure that there is a clear plan laid out for your taxes (you may owe tax in both Australia and the US), home leave (the company may pay for you to return to the US 1-2 times per year, especially since you have a child who will remain in the US), and extra expenses (housing, security, etc). If you have a home that you own in the US, the company should be taking care of your housing overseas, storage or moving of personal items, etc.

Some companies are on top of the things listed above, but some are clueless ("Derp derp. Let's send someone overseas for OUR benefit. No need for any extras."), so make sure you advocate for yourselves.

Good luck!

[Cicero]

Prague two years. Moved with company A. From there H took a job with company B that took us to Switzerland for two years. That led to a two year posting in Malaysia. At the moment we are on another such assignment thirty minutes west of you. What do you want to know?

How common is it for his company to send people abroad? I ask because from personal observation the amount and quality of help you get with logistics is proportional to the frequency and experience the company has.

[Deleted]

DH's cousin did this a few years ago. Her husband was posted to London for one year (started the summer of the Olympics); she took sabbatical from her university position. They had 2 elementary-aged kids who adjusted really well, did travel in Europe, company helped them locate lovely housing in Richmond. She was glad to return home but said she wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

I've done it for school and BUNAC visa, it truly is wonderful to spend a long period of time abroad rather than short vacations, such a different perspective. I'd love to have the chance again, even though it would be more complicated with family and managing 'grown up' responsibilities.

[rupertpenny]

I live abroad, but our situation is different because we are technically local hires and have no expat packages to speak of.

If I were ever to negotiate an expat package id definitely be concerned with taxes and housing first and foremost. And I guess the quality and availability of healthcare, but that's not necessarily something that needs to be provided by an employer.

Anyway, I love living abroad and want to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.

I know Sydney is expensive as shit, but it's also very nice and would probably be an easy transition.

[iammalcolmx]

Jan 26, 2015 9:44:42 GMT -5 mryrcn said:

Jan 26, 2015 9:14:26 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

You need to go so iammalcolmx and I can come visit. We will visit GBCNers ANYWHERE LOL

I'm not inviting your arse anywhere until you come to NC!  I may invite @iammalcomx though just cause  

Thanks ladies.  I had not even thought about the tax portion.  He's meeting first of March with the Sydney person and obtaining more information.  I'm very eager to live abroad and explore.  The quote, "not all men who wander are lost" has been playing in my head for days.  

As for K, she's autistic.  If she were a typical child I would pack her up in a heartbeat.  

You are leaving your child? Who is the child going to stay with?

[origami]

You should post this on the IN board. There are Aussies there who could help you with Sydney info.

There's a lot to tell about living abroad so I will ditto Cicero.

The best advice I got was to go with the right attitude. You have to be patient, flexible and decide to live it up. Make the most of it, intentionally, and it'll be amazing. But know that it will also be frustrating and lonely at times. If you have realistic expectations and a good attitude then you should totally do it. My biggest struggles are the language barrier and having no family/friends/reliable babysitting to help with my kids. Sounds like you won't have to deal with either of that so it should be even better, assuming the company does it right. I hope you get good flight benefits because Sydney is (obv) super, super far away. The time change sucks too. That will be hard on you WRT your kids. I still think the benefits outweigh the minuses though. Assuming the company gives you a decent deal.

[origami]

Jan 26, 2015 9:14:26 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

You need to go so iammalcolmx and I can come visit. We will visit GBCNers ANYWHERE LOL

Hotel Origami has year-round availability.

[iammalcolmx]

Jan 26, 2015 9:58:44 GMT -5 origami said:

Jan 26, 2015 9:14:26 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

You need to go so iammalcolmx and I can come visit. We will visit GBCNers ANYWHERE LOL

Hotel Origami has year-round availability.

This morning when I was driving to work I was the Korean Airlines 747 landing at Atlanta airport. It gets in at like 745am!!

[sushi]

Jan 26, 2015 9:58:44 GMT -5 origami said:

Jan 26, 2015 9:14:26 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

You need to go so iammalcolmx and I can come visit. We will visit GBCNers ANYWHERE LOL

Hotel Origami has year-round availability.

You guys all know I've met people all over!

Op,I can't really help with the moving details as the military controls mine. But I can say it's a great experience.

[Velvetshady]

Jan 26, 2015 9:46:01 GMT -5 pennypenny said:

You know we will be there. Australian Open baby.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using proboards

That's one hell of a daily commute to see matchs


OP: can't help much of any details, but go for it--I grew up mostly overseas and as a kid didn't have have to worry about logistics and taxes. Sydney is a great place go if you haven't lived overseas--language won't be a problem, there will be enough of the familiar with a large dose of the unfamiliar. And it's a great starting point to explore lots of other places.

[irishbride2]

Being an expat is the best thing ever.

Going abroad not as an expat would be incredibly expensive.

[iammalcolmx]

Jan 26, 2015 10:19:30 GMT -5 mryrcn said:

Jan 26, 2015 9:46:06 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

You are leaving your child? Who is the child going to stay with?

See first paragraph where I say she would stay with her dad.  We share joint custody now.  K is 20 years old.  

Oh she's 20, that makes sense.

[iammalcolmx]

Also if the company won't take care of your taxes and the returns while you are there and a few years post, don't do it.

[Cicero]

Yeah, taxes are acomplicated cluster. H is a CPA by training and it still took him several hours every year of going through Deloitte's work on our taxes to figure out WTH was going on.

[Cicero]

Jan 26, 2015 11:01:37 GMT -5 @soudesafinado said:

Jan 26, 2015 9:44:42 GMT -5 mryrcn said:

I'm not inviting your arse anywhere until you come to NC!  I may invite @iammalcomx though just cause  

Thanks ladies.  I had not even thought about the tax portion.  He's meeting first of March with the Sydney person and obtaining more information.  I'm very eager to live abroad and explore.  The quote, "not all men who wander are lost" has been playing in my head for days.  

As for K, she's autistic.  If she were a typical child I would pack her up in a heartbeat.  

After spending 6 weeks in N.C. I have reaffirmed that I do not like it there! None of my family quite get it and seemed puzzled I didn't want to just stay on indefinitely until we got all my mom's affairs in order, and I had to be all I DO NOT LIVE HERE, I HAVE A HOUSE AND A JOB AND A LIFE IN ANOTHER CITY FAR AWAY AND I NEED TO GET BACK TO IT AND MY OWN BED AND THINGS. THIS IS NOT MY HOME.

Not to derail this post, but many (((hugs))). This can't be an easy time for you.

[frlcb]

There are several Australian expats on the International board. I lived in London for 3 years but not as an expat but with my British husband. It would have been a much more affordable experience had we been expats We are hoping dh gets an opportunity to work overseas for a couple of years while our kids are young.

[aurora]

I lived in Denmark for 3.5 months (was paid by my Danish host institution) and it took me 1.5 years after that to straighten out taxes. I mean, there was a payroll error that caused all sorts of headaches, but still. So, I second the advice to make sure you have an accountant here who knows how to deal with international tax issues, and also get a recommendation for one in Australia who specializes in expats.

Overall it was a great experience, but you definitely had to go into it with a lot of patience and good humor. As the trailing spouse, I definitely recommend you get involved as soon as possible with local groups so you're not depending on your H and his work for all of your social interactions. The Danish experience was definitely harder for H than for me since I was interacting with lots of people at work every day.

[Deleted]

I don't anymore but I lived in South Africa for 1.5 years. It was a great experience. it felt like I was on vacation for the first 6 months, then reality set in. I did tons of traveling which made the experience even better.

I was never really home sick but the time difference did suck trying to talk to people on the phone. Also the mental energy to figure out simple things like What otc med to get from the pharmacy was a little exhausting at times being in unfamiliar territory.

Sounds like you have a great opportunity and I'd definitely regret not taking it.

[downtoearth]

Not me, but I would love to do this. I dream about it all the time, but DH and I don't have international jobs. How would I get into this, I wonder?

[wise_rita]

Australia is pretty much the greatest place ever.

It is also VERY far away and expensive to get between, so it's not easy to go back to the USA, even for emergencies or things like weddings.

1-2 years sounds like a piece of cake, but I've been out of the US for 7.5 years so my views/memories are warped. I remember the first year was by far the hardest as an adjustment period, but there were external factors contributing to that.

You need to hash out things like moving costs and living expenses. COL in Sydney, I imagine, is astronomical. Wages are a lot higher, and as everyone said taxes are a PITA (not for me, luckily, being single in the eyes of Uncle Sam and making under the foreign earned income exclusion).

I don't know where to go from here, so ask any questions you might have, but I repeat that Australia is the best place on earth. You can't beat it.

One last thing: I was totally not expecting this but everybody "back home" doesn't really give a shit if you have this amazing, life changing experience. Life goes on, and it goes on without you. Nobody ever tells you that.

[dorothyinAus]

I don't think Australia is the greatest place in the world. I think I may be a bit more jaded by my struggles to get things that are common in the US and by the fact that I live in a more rural area than she does. I agree that it's hugely expensive. It's also hell-and-gone from the US, even with as much notice as possible it still takes me 2 days to get back home to my family in New Orleans/Little Rock (and in actuality it's closer to 3 due to crossing the dateline).

I'm not on an ex pat package, I moved to be with my Australian husband. I'm also not currently employed, but when I was my income was well under the exclusion limit, so I can't answer any questions about taxes.

The one thing I would suggest is that your husband ask about the health care packages. My experience as a patient with the Medicare (national health care scheme) have been horrid. Thankfully it's all been routine stuff and I'm not on any prescribed medication so I'm fairly easy. But it's still an issue I'd be sure to ask about. I know it's better for people who have private health cover rather than just Medicare, though in rural areas it's much of a muchness as there are not as many choices.

[wise_rita]

Jan 28, 2015 4:52:13 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

I don't think Australia is the greatest place in the world. I think I may be a bit more jaded by my struggles to get things that are common in the US and by the fact that I live in a more rural area than she does. I agree that it's hugely expensive. It's also hell-and-gone from the US, even with as much notice as possible it still takes me 2 days to get back home to my family in New Orleans/Little Rock (and in actuality it's closer to 3 due to crossing the dateline).

I'm not on an ex pat package, I moved to be with my Australian husband. I'm also not currently employed, but when I was my income was well under the exclusion limit, so I can't answer any questions about taxes.

The one thing I would suggest is that your husband ask about the health care packages. My experience as a patient with the Medicare (national health care scheme) have been horrid. Thankfully it's all been routine stuff and I'm not on any prescribed medication so I'm fairly easy. But it's still an issue I'd be sure to ask about. I know it's better for people who have private health cover rather than just Medicare, though in rural areas it's much of a muchness as there are not as many choices.

Bold 1: Perfectly fair assessment.  I can't imagine life in a "regional area" (I had never heard that term before moving here).  I don't want to, TBH.

Bold 2: Australia is a 2 income country, no doubt.  I don't know how anybody does it with 1 income.  I see 2 incomes as an absolute necessity.  The minimum wage is $16+ so even unskilled work pays decently.

Bold 3: Depending on the visa, an expat probably won't qualify for Medicare, especially if they are American (non-RHCA).  A 457 visa carries the requirement of private medical insurance (even if RHCA).  OP consider who's paying for that mandatory health insurance as apart of your H's remuneration package. 

I had something else to say to OP but I've got a brain fart.  I'll be back.


 

[summer]

Having no kids with you for an overseas moves decreases the stress and increases the fun exponentially, I would assume. And it's English-speaking, another win.

I can't really see many of the downsides living in Sydney that I see here, or in a country that is completely different from America. You will miss your friends, but with that said, anecdotally all the Australians I've ever met are awesome and super-friendly and seem to have a blast when they get back home, so I imagine you could probably find cool people to hang with fairly quickly.

I would do it!

[scout8]

No advice for you, but I would love to live overseas. Unfortunately, it will never be an option with our jobs. I hope it works out for you. I will be sooooo jealous!!

[rupertpenny]

Jan 26, 2015 10:21:56 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Also if the company won't take care of your taxes and the returns while you are there and a few years post, don't do it.

I think this depends a lot on your tax situation in general. For my H and me it isn't a huge deal that we don't have help with taxes, but we don't own property or significant assets in the US and both of our salaries are just under the foreign earned income exclusion. We also live in a low tax jurisdiction. I wouldn't necessarily count yourself out just for tax reasons. 

[rupertpenny]

Jan 26, 2015 12:24:08 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Not me, but I would love to do this. I dream about it all the time, but DH and I don't have international jobs. How would I get into this, I wonder?

My H and I don't necessarily have "international" jobs, we just found jobs abroad. We have pretty mundane careers, I'm an archivist (librarian more or less) and he's an attorney. You don't have to have a fancy job with an international corporation to live abroad. 

[iammalcolmx]

Jan 28, 2015 7:53:31 GMT -5 rupertpenny said:

Jan 26, 2015 10:21:56 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Also if the company won't take care of your taxes and the returns while you are there and a few years post, don't do it.

I think this depends a lot on your tax situation in general. For my H and me it isn't a huge deal that we don't have help with taxes, but we don't own property or significant assets in the US and both of our salaries are just under the foreign earned income exclusion. We also live in a low tax jurisdiction. I wouldn't necessarily count yourself out just for tax reasons. 

If the OP is talking about an Expat assignment( which seems very different from your situation) I absolutely would rule it out if the company wasn't hiring a professional to deal with your taxes. The gross up's for taxable fringe benefits in addition to the documentation needed in-case of an audit is something I would not feel comfortable taking care of myself.  I shouldn't have to pay out of pocket for the type of CPA needed to take care of this.

[teatimefor2]

I'm a lurker over here, but DH and I lived in London for nearly eight years and loved being expats. We were in a local package, but the opportunity to really get to know another country is fantastic.

Oz is on our dream list of places to live for 1-2 years, I am jealous of your opportunity.

I would ask your DH's company about assistance in:

-finding a flat
-medical coverage
-visa for you
-annual trip to the U.S.
-tax help (if you live their full time, the taxes are actually easy to do, don't day no just due to taxes!)

Although Oz is expensive, I think it's also important to have a long term view in what international experience might have for your DH's career trajectory. Although our first year or so aboard might have been a financial hit, it has paid off big time in the long run. Just something to think about.

Also it was an amazing experience that allowed us to travel through Europe as well as parts of Africa, Middle East and Asia. Think of the travel opportunities to explore new cultures, etc. travel within Asia is very inexpensive and you could really widen your horizons for significantly less than those trips would have cost you coming from the U.S.