What are /r/expats' favorite Products & Services?

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Netflix content in Korea will still be in English, but the content is different than in the US for example. So if you want to have US Netflix, then you will need to have a VPN. And yeah you need to install it before leaving because VPNs are banned there so you won't be able to reach their sites to download while you in Korea. And you need a VPN who is working there because not all of them does. You will be good with NordVPN, Express VPN, Surfshark VPN and I think Astrill still works. So choose between these. My favorite is Nord.

Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account has no minimums or fees, unlimited ATM fee rebates worldwide, and no foreign transaction fees. You have to create a brokerage account, which also has no fees, but don't have to keep any money in it.

Check https://www.nerdwallet.com/banking/best-checking-accounts, you can filter by "no monthly fee".

Also check out any credit unions you may be eligible for.

Spain? or Portugal? A Portuguese D7 visa should be fairly simple to get if you have ~ $20K in savings. It sounds like a warmer climate is important to you, which is why I'm suggesting Spain or Portugal. Also, it's a very short move from London.

REM: you are currently lucky enough to live in a country (the UK) which has:

* Universal healthcare

* a social safety net

* strong trade unions / worker's unions

* a much better work-life balance

* better public transportation

* paid holidays and paid vacation

* and gun control.

The US has none of these things. If you want to move someplace less expensive and less rainy, please consider moving to a warmer country that has Universal Healthcare and a social safety net. A visa isn't that hard to get (nor is it that expensive), and you can always go through VFS Global, which will do most of the work for you.

Links:

<strong>Living in Portugal: guides for expats</strong>

<strong>Living in Spain: guides for expats</strong>

Seconded on ExpressVPN. Very easy to use and never had an issue getting detected using it on the services I use in the US (government, Netflix, etc.). Haven't tried Hulu. For me, it works solid even in China which regularly blocks some VPNs.

Not an HR professional myself, but when my husband and I moved to Korea from the US with a large cohort of new hires we received this book called "Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans". It's a funny and accurate easy read on cultural norms and differences. Things like, Koreans find blowing your nose in public, speaking to someone with your hands in your pockets and making direct eye contact to be rude/uncomfortable behaviour. Americans find putting make-up on in public, shouting to get wait staffs attention in a restaurant or getting drunk at a work event to be strange/rude behaviour. These little things don't make a huge difference to daily life, but the book started a great conversation in our cohort on social norms.

Everyone has their ups and downs as an expat. At first, everything seems great because it's like a vacation. Then you're there longer than a vacation, and you start to miss family and friends and/or you feel homesick. I started out loving it here in Germany, hated it for a while, and then settled into a, "I like living in Germany better, but I still miss my friends and family" kind of attitude.

I personally find life in Germany much more pleasant than in America, but I like my American friends better. Part of that is because we all speak the same language fluently, so it makes conversation more interesting; and knowing I'll eventually be fluent in German as well makes my social life a little more tolerable for now.

You're only 25. Just see where things go. People change. You might find you like Norway better than the US once you've been there long enough. I mean, guaranteed work benefits, time off, etc. are pretty nice. If you ever want kids, Norway is also a much better place to raise them.

She might also change her mind about living in the US.

Join expat groups on Facebook or see if there's anything going on in your city on meetup.com

It's also helpful in Europe to join clubs to meet friends. So, if you like playing soccer/football you could join an amateur league. Or table tennis. Or squash. Or badminton. Whatever. You'll probably be the best on the team, too, if you can find an amateur baseball or American football team. ;)

Once you start working, things will be a lot easier, too. You will meet people at work and have a routine.

You can keep your US accounts; they don’t disappear or anything.

If you want to move a lot of money, a SWIFT wire transfer is about $50 for any amount of money. For smaller, more frequent transfers you may want to find another option like TransferWise or similar services.

One option is just using your ATM card. Some banks will refund ATM fees. In particular Schwab’s “investor checking” debit card refunds ATM fees and has no foreign transaction fees.

Other banks/credit unions have similar offerings; shop around, starting with your existing banks.

The answer I’ve always used is ExpressVPN. They have setup instructions even for routers (which will cover your chrome cast and smart tv issues) and, if you ask customer support they’ll point you to which endpoints work with the service you want.

Lived abroad for years and travel frequently still. Gets me Netflix, Hulu etc no problem.

If you REALLY know what your doing you can set your router up to do two separate networks, one in VPN and one out. Then just use the in VPN one for video and the other for everything else

You should definitely talk to someone about these feelings. They are quiet normal and you are not alone. I would encourage you to talk to your partner, as a relationship is a partnership. If not, at least someone you can confide in before they blow up in an manner than may impact your relationship more than discussing them now would've.

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I would recommend start by checking out meetup.com or resources to find activities for you to do during the day. I would also encourage you to start learning the language of the country you are in (if you see it being long-term) and finding a tandem partner. You may also consider furthering your education, if it would be helpful.

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Since you didn't say what country you are in, the next step is figuring out how to format your resume (CV) in the local format. Your husband found a job, so I'm going to assume those same job board or resources, you can use to look for things in your profession. I will say this will be harder as a translator without knowing the local language fluently.

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Depending on your visa permissions, you might be able to set-up a business for yourself doing translations in the languages you are fluent in.

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I don't really think a bachelor's in Humanities really means anything, unfortunately, to any job market. So really work on how you will position yourself for fields you are interested in. I've found in a lot of countries what you studied in school really matters to people going through resumes, so this is why I recommended you may want to consider further education in a field that interest you. Not to scare you but to be realistic. Work on how to sell yourself!

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You're not alone, OP. And good luck!

Wow, thanks so much! This is super helpful. I unfortunately reside in a state with income tax, so that kinda sucks but I guess it is what it is!

I have NordVPN and will definitely keep that going forward. Funny you mention dental insurance, I was curious about that. I've historically had some teeth issues and religiously go at least twice a year for cleanings, etc. I assume I'd be able to keep that up there as well though.

Just a few other questions if you don't mind:

1. Do you also keep a US phone number in addition to your dutch number, or did you drop the US number altogether?

2. As far as investing goes, do you continue to invest in US stocks/mutual funds by chance? If so have you had any issue with doing that?

3. Have you had to file taxes yet? Just curious how that looked for you. I assume I would just get a professional to deal with it, at least the first couple of times but just wondering if youve had to yet.

4. How do you like it so far? Is it what you expected for the most part and are you living fairly comfortable in comparison to how you were? It's quite a significant move so it stresses me out a bit, but I assume that's normal

I appreciate your help and tips!

Hi! I went through the same thing last year. I use NordVPN + YouTubeTV as well. After a some fiddling, I found the most reliable method is to hardwire my laptop to the TV via HDMI and use a bluetooth keyboard to control the laptop from across the room.

Occasionally, I have to manually set the location in chrome, but that's easy enough. Just use Google maps to grab any lat and long in the city where the VPN servers are located.

Wise (formally Transferwise) and get your debit card delivered before you leave the country if possible.

Actually I'm not sure if it's US based but it gives you a US account based out of NY.

İt's like a "borderless" account . You can have accounts in US, AUD, GBP, Euro and a few more. And you can send money to many currencies. Low rates.

İf you have a business account, there are business options as well

You can browse Wise here

I'm happy with them. Been using them since about 2017 or 2018.

Are you sure you've researched this thoroughly? If the spouse is getting a green card, then he/she qualifies for the same Obamacare stuff as everyone else.

For the financial part, you can set up a Wise account to transfer money back and forth. My daughters work in the UK and can get paid directly into that account and can transfer US funds directly to it as well. They give you a sort code and account number, just as any UK bank will.

I've been living in Mexico for the past 4 years (I'm from the US).

I use a debit card from Schwab - the Schwab High Yield Investor Checking Account. They reimburse ATM fees. I have a $1000 USD/day limit on my account (not sure if that's the default or if it required a special request). So I can take out the equivalent of $1000 USD in MX pesos every day - which is more than plenty for my needs. That's about 20,000 MXN.
Not all ATMs allow you to take out that much though. I use the CI Banco ATM. Others in my town (Bancomer, Santander) only allow around 6000 pesos at a time.
Ask around once you get to Oaxaca - others will likely know which ATMs allow for a higher withdrawal limit. Also - ask around to folks there - as some ATMs are safer than others. Card skimming devices are common in Mexico - so you're typically better off at an ATM that's attached to or inside an actual bank.

Also - you can use services/apps like Xoom or Remitly - those allow you to send money to a place (bank, convenience store, Oxxo, Elektra, etc.) and you can simply walk in and pick up your cash there by showing your app receipt and passport. Tip: be sure the name you use in the account exactly matches your passport (including middle name). Mexico is strict about matching names, and that includes a middle name.

I have a MX bank account now, but didn't for the first year or so. It wasn't an issue for me not having one. I really only have it as a backup.

In addition - it's common down here to send money to someone's bank account. For example, if you have to pay rent. I use wise.com (formerly TransferWise) for this - it makes currency conversion and sending money easy (and they have the best rates that I've found).

Hope this helps. Buena suerte!

I know HSBC let's you transfer between a US and UK account, I can't speak for anything inside the EU.

You could look into setting up a Wise (formally Transferwise) account as well.

I originally used Nord. Then Express for awhile. Both periodically don't work in China.

I currently use PureVPN. For a no name, it has worked amazingly well, and has more servers, in more diverse locations, to connect to.

I'm in a similar situation, moving two cats internationally. I've found that United Airlines is the only airline that allows a passenger to bring two pets in cabin. You just have to purchase an additional ticket or seat for the second pet. The first pet can count as your personal item. Both tickets will require an additional pet fee. I'm sure you already have, but make sure to thoroughly check import regulations. Some countries require pets to be placed only in cargo upon entry, some allow for in cabin entry. It just depends. Haven't gotten to use them in the airplane yet, but I bought two Sturdibag carriers. Cats seem to like them, they even sleep in them around the house. Harder bottom that doesn't cave in when carried and poles that keep sides flexible but not flimsy.

https://www.amazon.com/Sturdi-Products-SturdiBag-Carrier-Large/dp/B00AHNQS0Q

A weird but helpful thing for me to keep them calm in route is pureed cat food sticks. They're kind of like Gogurts for cats. Easy clean up/throw away, keeps them hydrated, easy to transport. My cats like the brand below.

https://www.amazon.com/Churu-Lickable-Creamy-Flavor-Variety/dp/B01N3QZTMI/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&amp;keywords=churu&amp;qid=1624766341&amp;sr=8-5

Good luck. Hope it's a quick and smooth move.

Yes! I am an expat in the Philippines for 7 years. I first learned of this back when I first moved here. The answer is for online transactions, use a VPN, virtual private network, and mask your IP address to one in the states. You see, a lot of online transactions check your IP address to see where you are at, and if out of the country(by your IP) suspect fraudulent and block the transaction. So get a VPN (free one may work, but pay one like ExpressVPN better!)

Whatever works for /r/netflixviavpn should also work for HBO. I find that Netflix is more discerning about proxies than anyone else, especially HBO.

I use ExpressVPN and connect to any one of their east coast US servers and everything works fine.

I use PrivateVPN. $72 for 3 years. It's one of the more budget paid service but can confirm it works well for bbc iPlayer and their support service helped me make sure it did or would refund me.

Not sure if that deal is still available or not, but either way you're looking at a similar investment.

Don't think any free services unlock it, but it they do you might be limited to like 2gb a month.

I use NordVPN and StrongVPN in Asia but it should be the exact same thing in Europe. StrongVPN is generally a bit faster and has worked with xfinity, hbogo, Comedy Central, Hulu, Netflix, and amazon prime for me so I would definitely recommend it.

This might be a little more on the side of cultural differences, but I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel, Get Naked. It centers around an American who travels a lot and who has always been extremely paranoid about being naked in front of others and how it's much more commonplace in other countries. Quite humorous and a fun read.

OFX, Wise, Schwab bank / brokerage. All have similar fees but you have to be careful to know the differences when transferring large sums, as a small difference in rate will cost you thousands. Wise usually is faster once you are established (have used the same banks before) but slower on the first one. In any case, wiring money costs money to both send and receive. If you can get your $ to the forex entity another way (ACH payment) then you can avoid the wire fees. OFX and Schwab have low fees but take a bit of the exchange rate. Wise has higher fees but does not touch the exchange rate. OFX and Wise have calculators to show you how much money you will receive in your foreign bank. I have not found a calculator for Schwab, but their fees are listed here: https://www.schwab.com/public/file/P-1036363?fbclid=IwAR1Bsp9tbkD9NLpsb_Jz7JtlTG-jLJ99FMrwHbP1VLvtShE-oUlAdUzAyww

Seconding Facebook groups (either for the local city/town/village you live in or for other expats in said area - depending on who you're wanting to connect with).

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Also seconding the other user's suggestion of meetup.com. Great for starting a hobby or meeting others who share your existing hobbies. Also great just to meet other expats or locals and do an activity without the pressure of YOU having to plan

Two, one month trips being 60 days INSIDE the USA would probably not allow you to maintain resident status in another country for tax/healthcare purposes.

I may be wrong, but Im dealing with this specifically with moving to the UK on a temporary basis. I am required to maintain health insurance in the USA WHILE living abroad because we will be in the USA more than 30 calendar days in one year.

If your spouse is a NON-RESIDENT then they may be exempt. https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions-tool/#/results/2015/details/resident-alien

Everything is hyper-localized in Switzerland, right down to the language and governance. Among the "German"-speaking cantons, not all can understand each other's version of Schweizerdeutsch. This, in combination with the geography, reinforces the insularity of various locales in much of the country. As with anywhere, you'll find plenty of folks who are interested in other people/cultures/places (and most Swiss love to travel). However, the attitudes of most are more akin to the Hobbits of The Shire than cosmopolitan extroverts.

Also, Switzerland is expensive as f*ck. The Swiss Franc has been arguably the world's strongest currency since the financial crisis (see how the Euro plummeted against it). Their central bank had negative interest rates long before Germany.

But "worst country for foreigners"?!? LOL I'd rather go back to Switzerland before a hundred other countries.

Yep, most countries tax you on any income that you earn while you're a resident, even if it's from a foreign source.

For the interest income, you'd pay tax either way; either to the US or the UK. Since it's a US account, you'll pay US taxes, then claim the US taxes against your UK taxes.

For example if the US wants to charge you $30 and the UK wants to charge you $40 for that interest income, you'd wind up paying the US $30 and then the UK $10.

>I'm going to leave a savings account in the US bank here.

Unless you're getting paid directly to your US account, you'll still need a UK account. Plus you might want a local account anyways for shopping, rent, etc.

FYI most banks will charge something ridiculous ($5 or so) to use an overseas ATM. Always take out the maximum ($400 or so), not $20. Also most US banks don't want to open accounts for expats, so be sure to get your financial life in order before you leave. You can also find a checking account that has ATM refunds and no foreign transaction fee, for example Schwab's investor checking, or many credit unions.

You could also explore HSBC which has a subsidiary in the US; you might be able to use the UK HSBC branches with a US HSBC account. I dunno. If the account is held by a US bank, you don't need to report it on FBAR/FATCA.

The app is called hangouts. There IS a google voice app but ignore it, it doesn't work. It works over wifi or a cellular data connection.

I use WhatsApp more than hangouts/google for texts (and even calls from friends) but all my banking stuff is done with the us number attached to hangouts/google.

For the computer, the link is https://hangouts.google.com/

For iphone https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hangouts/id643496868?mt=8

Here I am! Californian living for the past year in Brasov. My wife and I love it. The city is large enough to have every convenience we'd want or need, but small enough to cross town in under 20 minutes by car. Centrul Vechi, the Old Center, is what comes to everyone's mind when they think of Brasov, but there is so much more. There are many options for shopping, including a large, modern shopping mall with another being built, people are friendly and there's a large number of English speakers. The residents of Brasov are fiercely proud of their city - if you mention Bucharest you'll hear all about it. Also, the population seem to be rather outdoorsy. Lots of skiers, hikers, mountain bikers and such. Because the city backs up to the mountains it's very easy to enjoy those resorts. This past winter was rather mild, so I can't speak about what a normal one would be like. It was gray and cold and snowed a bit, but nothing too bad. We knew no one when we arrived, so we found a couple of groups through meetup.com and this has helped immensely. The city has many cultural events during the year plus a ballet and opera if you are into such and an Oktoberfest that rocks. We keep a full calendar with events, especially during spring and summer. I hear there is a specific American expat community but we haven't tried to find it. The people on Meetup are from around the world and we enjoy that. As I said, Brasov has been our home for almost a year and we intend to stay.

I have had no issues using or accessing either of those accounts while in Europe and Latin America.

Some other accounts that I have trouble with I use a VPN to "spoof" my IP address as within the US and have no problems. I recommend NordVPN

Check your individual devices to make sure that they can handle both 110 AND 240v. If a device doesn't say 240 specifically then don't bother bringing it and buy when you get there.

Most consumer electronics can handle 110/240 (computers etc) but some that draw a lot of power/watts (kettles hair dryers) sometimes can only handle 1 voltage although that's not always the case.

And buy a bunch of these to convert US plug to UK plug: https://www.amazon.com/Hong-Ireland-Travel-Adapter-Ceptics/dp/B01MZD5T3E/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&amp;keywords=us+to+uk+plug+adapter&amp;qid=1617288490&amp;sr=8-15

My wife and I moved to France from the US in February and since my job was paying to ship our stuff over we brought our electronics. We had accumulated a lot of Home Depot gift cards (a DIY store in the US) over the years that we found while cleaning out the house and bought these voltage transformers (two 1150W and one 850W). As you can see they are not cheap, but the 1150W works well for the kitchen appliances (Kitchenaid mixer, food processor, surround sound system). My wife's hair clippers did not like the transformer though. Not only if the voltage different but the frequency of the power is different 50/60hz an some motors are sensitive to that.

You do need to look at what the power requirements of the device. Just make sure you understand that a power convertor, and a power transformer are two totally different things. A convertor only makes the plugs fit, and if the device isn't rated to take 220v power you will fry the item.

As others have said you need to find the power requirement for the item used. Some will list this in the manual, or you can find it online. If the amperage is listed you can calculate it yourself. Watts equals volts times amps. The US uses 120v, so if you have an appliance that says it draws 5 amps, you know it will need 600 watts. You should also size the transformer so that the appliance does not pull more that 80% of the transformers rating. You should also see the voltage label as well. If it says something like 100-240, no need for a transformer. But for anything that only lists 120v maybe put a red tag on the power cord to remind you the power needs to be transformed

I use ExpressVPN. I make sure to open it up on my cell phone before checking work email on that too. I think you can use it on five devices for the annual price. I also have the app on my Firestick so I can use my streaming apps and get US content. It is temperamental with Hulu, but works flawlessly with everything else I have.

StrongVPN has a plug and play (kind of) wireless router available. However, it's expensive.

We've lived overseas for the last eight years. TV will always be an issue. You will always be cobbling together VPNs and random services (Hulu, Netflix, that will work and not work depending on random issues beyond your control.

The most stable option I've done is a separate cable box at a friend in the US basement. Then run a Slingbox off that. Control is VERY sluggish, but it works. Put the Slingbox on a light timer and set it to turn off and on at about 5:00 am your local time. This will refresh the Slingbox everyday so it won't lose the network.

Currently I run a small form factor PC on my TV in our living room. Then I run the VPN on that and use a wireless keyboard with a trackpad for control.

In a general sense, just prepare to be frustrated.

Not sure if someone already mentioned it but you’ll want to get setup with a VPN before you go. Maybe two of them. The common recommendations are ExpressVPN and Astrill. Many sites you probably use on a regular basis including Reddit are blocked by the “Great Firewall”.

If they move to country with different power socket… high quality travel power adapter is extremely useful. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Adapter-International-Worldwide-Countries/dp/B07YDH4PHL if they need it… I would buy one for each member of the family.

Pretty off topic, but I guess I'll allow it.

A quick google reveals that you can buy an HDMI adaptor which might work for you. I'm not sure if modern TVs care about the source signal being 60Hz, or if converting it to a digital signal will negate that issue entirely. Probably worth a try for $30.

I tried ExpressVPN as suggested by another commenter, and that worked. I used the 7 day free trial and then canceled my subscription immediately, otherwise it would have started to charge me a fair amount! Another commenter had luck with a completely free VPN.

I use ExpressVPN and watch through an Apple TV. When I try and watch Hulu with the VPN through my computer it detects something is off and makes me verify my location. It works very well through my Apple TV and ExpressVPN has great customer service whenever there is issues.

I am in Germany and have a friend here who also could not get NordVPN to work with Hulu. She switched to ExpressVPN which works fine with Hulu. Works for me as well. However ExpressVPN doesn't let me watch Prime US - Amazon knows and makes me use the German version.

A major plus for living in Germany is the fact that if you're in the public health insurance system (and 90% of people are), your policy covers your entire family. I imagine that that savings (after a monthly premium, there are no copays and no deductibles) could well make up for the shortfall in salary. I think visiting before you jump right in would make sense. Shameless self-promotion: I wrote this book about moving to Berlin and you might find it helpful.

One other tip, simple American lamps are safe (but not certified) to use in Europe as long as you change the light bulbs. The wiring on US lamps is thicker than the wiring in EU lamps since we have a lower voltage. E27 sized bulbs are compatible with US screw-in bulb sockets.

You can buy cords like this to power charging blocks or TVs: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000PELP1O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

And cords like this for computers and monitors: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07Y1V1HB2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

ExpressVPN worked for me in China for last 5 years. Usually used San Francisco as my location as other areas sometimes weren’t working. I would use VPN on laptop and then use HDMI cord to show on TV. If I would mirror to TV it would fail. If you have Hulu, you could also go to nbc, abc, ESPN, etc sites and watch from there. You don’t need to do anything before you leave US. In fact, after you get your first promotional year, change emails and get another promotion.

I keep a conversion magnet on my fridge to quickly help me in the kitchen convert recipes. Many things in the US will have both measurements- measuring cups and food will show ounces and grams or ml, car speedometers will have miles and kilometers, etc which will help you get used to it. Also, colloquially, Americans speak about distance in time, such as the store is 10 minutes away or my aunt lives 2 hours from here, not how many miles.

Funny story, my French husband did not know the abbreviation for pound is lb, and tried to order something in "lubs". Other tricky abbreviations are ounces is oz, and tablespoon is tbl vs teaspoon is tsp.

Check out the 24 gal sized Action Packer. Not uncommon to see these on the luggage belt in Alaska. I usually drill a hole or two and use a zip tie to lock them. Plus put a few extras inside for TSA to relock. https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-ActionPacker%25EF%25B8%258F-Lockable-Storage-Industrial/dp/B07QXGRHDY

I also moved from Northern Europe to London, it has been over 10 years. While some aspects of living here are not ideal, I would've never had the same opportunities and international reach if I would've stayed in my sleepy hometown. If you are struggling with adjusting to the culture then maybe the book "Watching the English" (Amazon link) can offer some explanation to the norms and unspoken rules.

No. From
Unfortunately, you will not be able to use a remote desktop with NordVPN. Remote desktop service requires specific open ports and port-forwarding.

Potential solution (if you are willing to take the security hit):

The End of Belonging: Untold stories of leaving home and the psychology of global relocation by Greg Madison. See also his website.

I don't have a definite answer, though it will depend on the country you are going to. I can't imagine it will affect you too much as without conviction, you weren't proven guilty.

To give you an idea, I have been arrested previously and not charged and I travel frequently across Europe and the US just fine.

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P.s feel free to complete my survey on Airtable about frequent travellers and expats :) https://airtable.com/shrWoNX5qH07y4jhm

https://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-Packing-Thicker-Durable-Delivering/dp/B08BXGPK85

this wrapping may be better than those bubble wrap. I have started to get all those bottles in this kind of wrapping.

I don't think you would need VPN in Greece.

I am using Astrill in China for more than a decade. It is the most reliable for average Joe. Customer service is good as well.

Some of my tech savvy set up their own vpn's

1) why do you need a VPN in Greece? (I used to use one in China due to the great firewall blocking Reddit, etc( 2) answer 1) first 3) I can recommend Astrill & Express. Nord was poor for me but that’s because it didn’t work well in China on apple devices.

I used a VPN from Germany to the USA and it worked fine. Without the VPN connection there is an error on the name lookup (DNS):

With VPN connection to USA using ProtonVPN:

$ nslookup

Server: 10.2.0.1

Address: 10.2.0.1#53

Non-authoritative answer:

Name:

Address: 164.95.95.106

VPN disconnected (from Germany):

$ nslookup

Server: 192.168.2.1

Address: 192.168.2.1#53

Non-authoritative answer:

*** Can't find : No answer

If you use HTTPS, your traffic is encrypted, so no one between your browser and the destination web site can see your traffic content. But they can see what sites you're accessing (the IP addresses).

A VPN will protect against other devices on same LAN (Wi-Fi), router, ISP seeing what sites you are accessing.

A VPN can provide additional features that are nice to have, such as ad-blocking.

A VPN can defeat geo-blocking, such as a site that only allows accesses from USA.

Usually a VPN imposes a performance penalty, but not always, and sometimes you even get a performance gain.

Some web sites may block use of VPN to access them, or impose a captcha or some other test. Banks may refuse VPN use or even lock your account if they see VPN use. My main bank told me VPN use would trigger fraud alerts unless I had two-factor authentication enabled on my account (I do).

Some reputable VPN companies (e.g. Windscribe, ProtonVPN) have both a free tier and a paid tier, so you could test them before buying, or even just keep using the free tier until you hit limits.

I use a VPN 24/365, turning it off when I hit some site that refuses to work with VPN.

I'd say: get an account with a free tier on one of the ones I mentioned, try it before you go, try it in Greece, see if you want to keep using it. A useful tool to have in your toolbox even if you decide not to use it 24/7.

There's this book I might recommend as a quick read: &quot;The Decision Book&quot; by Krogerus and Tschaeppeler (original is German, but available in English translations), that provides a lot of different strategic and decision making models if you're finding yourself stuck in limbo.

Are you planning on starting another business after your current one ends its life cycle? Thinking about that future business, what are the pros and cons for either location? Don't forget there's a lot of bureaucracy for self-starting and small business in the U.S., too (guessing you're aware since you've done it already).

Don't just think 1-dimensionally (pro vs con), but think of what weight you assign to each of those parameters (eg: how much more or less important to you is lifestyle vs career, etc).

I have been using my Linksys WRT3200ACM router with ExpressVPN installed on it for many years. The router itself is great and ExpressVPN is phenomenal with great customer service. Using a router with VPN installed makes it so every device connected to it does not need its own VPN. I think you still get up to 5 devices with the standard subscription. I use the extras on my phones. I rate them 10/10

>If I recall, they don't really let you keep more than 15,000 EUR in your account.

Not exactly. Wise applies a 0.4% annual fee on that part of a Euro-denominated balance which exceeds €15,000 (charged monthly).

https://wise.com/gb/blog/good-news-on-multicurrency-account-fees#a-fee-on-large-eur-balances-to-cover-negative-interest-rates

Borderless bank account

Wise

https://wise.com/invite/i/daianem11

I’ve been living abroad for 8+ years, since they launched Wise I haven’t use any other bank to move my money. I even can keep different currencies in my account

&gt;Wise doesn't support MXN

What are you talking about? Been using Wise in Mexico for almost 3 years now.

Use my Wise card all the time in Mexico City, too.

https://wise.com/us/borderless/mxn-account

I bought this transformer in the US and brought it with me https://www.amazon.com/Anbull-Voltage-Converter-Transformer-Heavy/dp/B095YM9WMD/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?crid=2Q24317BPWR27&amp;keywords=transformer+220v+to+110v&amp;qid=1643846808&amp;sprefix=transformer+220%2Caps%2C241&amp;sr=8-12

I mean, blow the motor and there won’t be any 90’s indie. I have one like this. Works great, use it on a Bose system I have. See if you can order one to be at your new place when you show up and you’ll be good as gold. Like I said, they’re heavy as fuck, if you can, avoid shipping one from the US.

I meant to mention this before-- I don't know to what extent the science actually supports this. But about 20 years ago it was suggested that teaching pre-verbal children sign language helped smooth out tensions-- being hungry, sleepy, bathroom trips, scared, etc. Children at that age supposedly can learn rudimentary sign language that gets across their needs before they can learn to verbalize those same words. Like I said-- not sure to what extent this has been supported or debunked in the past 2 decades since I read about it but it's something to consider.

While I doubt she will be at risk of CPTSD, especially since you sound like a really supportive parent, you yourself might find insight and support from Pete Walker's CPTSD book. https://www.amazon.com/Complex-PTSD-Surviving-RECOVERING-CHILDHOOD-ebook/dp/B00HJBMDXK

it was free on prime but now mahbe it's not. But you might be able to find exerpts or be able to borrow it online from a library if money is tight (I hate buying a book without being able to read enough to determine if it's worth it.)

good luck. hang in there. you've got this.

You are 💯 correct. A fantastic way to see this is the book about Anders Breivik. It is a fascinating look at how many people in Norway hide their true feelings.. A frightening read. https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Lone-Wolf-Killer-Behring/dp/1681773341

We lived in Norway for 8 years and even my White, Danish husband felt looked sideways at

Where are you moving to?

Several multinational banks cater to expats and customers that regularly move btwn countries.

TD Bank and HSBC are examples that come to mind.

You may also want to check out firms (like Wise) that offer efficient intnl funds transfer and virtual accounts in multiple currencies.

Hi!

Thanks for your answer.

I speak the local language (French) but in the translation/ interpreting market, I have a disadvantage because I am not a native speaker and my mother tongue (Spanish) is not in demand here.

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You are right about furthering my education.

Thanks for suggesting meetup.com that's a good tip I totally forgot about.

I've been using the Sherpa 11721 Delta Deluxe Pet Carrier Medium Black since 2015, for her on several different airlines, and I've had no problem (domestic and international) so I do recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/Sherpa-Travel-Approved-Carrier-Medium/dp/B000633ZOY

But I don't think you can use it for cargo, which has to be hard sided. If you do carry-on, I'd definitely go with a soft sided one so you can put it under the seat in front of you more easily.

Also if you find a carrier that allows pets in cabin, book early & speak to an agent, request to be behind a seat that'll definitely have room for the carrier. But also my understanding is that it's first come, first serve--there's a limit to how many pets can be on board, and also lets anyone with a cat allergy that tries to book after you that they will need to book a different flight.

Hope you and your kitty have a safe and easy journey!

Google voice. It’s what I use living in Germany. Works well for my bank, credit cards, and other messages.

Use a VPN to sign up for everything. I use ExpressVPN - which I like as it works well on my phone, pc, and on my appletv so I can continue to watch American shows.

I bought a US phone number with a Skype subscription. It was reasonable and it works for both phone and SMS. I also have a VPN subscription, NordVPN. If you search this subreddit, you will find a better discussion.

I am sure there are other options, but...

State Dept Federal Credit Union offers IRAs and they are very expat friendly.

[Charles Schwab[(https://www.schwab.com/ira/roth-ira) is also very expat friendly, so I assume the same would extend to their IRAs.

Look into Charles Schwab. I am planning to get one before I move to Prague. They have online checking accounts and offer financial guidance. I am sure they can advise you properly. https://www.schwab.com/checking

I can't offer more for the specifics of your situation other than to encourage you to to take the leap. The traffic in Bucharest freaked my wife and me out, so we chose to live in Brasov... three hours away in Transylvania and much more laid back. I'm a California retiree and she's fluent having been born in Bucharest. We've found that English is very common amongst younger Romanians, yet the Romanian language is quite easy to read if you have any understanding of Latin, from which many English words derive. You can get by with a very basic knowledge of pleasantries, such as thank you (mulțumesc), you're welcome (cu plăcere), good day (buna ziua), good bye (la revedere), and have a nice day (o zi bună). Everyone will know you're an American but will appreciate that you try with their language. It's been difficult for me to learn Romanian because those here who speak English enjoy practicing their skills with me. As for finding a community of English speakers, we found a good circle of friends through meetup.com. Also, in Bucharest, there seems to be rather active groups through internations.org. I wish you luck with your decision and hope you choose to move to Romania. Occasionally I find I'm frustrated living in a country different from the one in which I was born, but a vast majority of the time I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to experience a different, yet not difficult culture from which I was familiar. Romania has many difficulties with which it must address, yet over the last 30 years has become quite a typical European country.

Just pick up a few packs of these fly screens and some proper Velcro tape (because the stuff that comes with the screen is shite) and you'll be all set, if you don't mind it looking a bit ugly. At least it'll keep the flying critters out until you've installed some proper screens.

Milano is the city I've spent the least amount of time in, but to me it was a lot of high end level things going on. I've found the US to be cheaper in nearly every regard, plus lower taxes and way higher earning potential. But I completely understand the notion to live in Europe. I think Prague and Budapest are nearly on the same level (says 4% cheaper in Budapest: http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/prague/budapest)
I think you can't go wrong with either city, although I'd likely choose Prague

This book would be great for you to read:

Whose Career - Yours, Mine or Ours?: Addressing the Dual Career Dilemma with CARE https://www.amazon.com/dp/1919613315/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_KT8G350QR37CXWYA6N0J

She presented case studies of couples who had to move a lot and how these couples made decisions with regards to their careers together.

Definitely bring clothes and shoes. They tend to be considerably more expensive here. Favorite brands of deodorant possibly as well.

I'm not sure about the bed. You can get quite comparable measures in mattress/bed size in Germany as well. And my feel is that mattresses are cheaper here than in the states, but ymmv. Maybe browse some furniture house websites in your target city.

Kitchen stuff: yeah, Pyrex measuring cups are hard to come by. But I got two plastic measuring cups and a scale, purchased in Germany. That covers all recipes that I might want to try. I think you can get some kitchenaid appliances here as well, but I got a Bosch Küchenmaschine, which is great as long as you don't want to mix cement. Avoids the voltage hassle.

if you have any really nice appliances (like a fancy blender), you can use a voltage transformer to keep using that in Germany. I've been using my (US bought) Vitamix in the UK for years this way. Something like this- https://www.amazon.co.uk/500VA-220V-Voltage-Transformer-Converter/dp/B081T3NCB7/

I also brought my king size bed to London and maybe I got lucky, but was able to quickly find a flat where it fits easily. If your company is paying for it, bring everything, and then get ride of it in Germany. I wish I'd done this, but got rid of a lot of little things and then had to re-buy.

VZolution Step Up & Step Down Voltage Transformer for Any Appliance up to 500W, 110V 120V 220V 240V Converter 50/60 Hz, Re-settable Circuit Breaker Protection, Certified to CSA/US Safety Standards https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PGJYDWS/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_AK54MJBC0W7TPJJNDDYR

Some appliances might say they can't accept 50 Hz, so this won't work for those. I'm thinking it will work for most, just look at the cord info for each.

This is not the one I own, just the first search result.

Home audio equipment won't handle 50 Hz, but the rest is usually fine.

Take a look at the pcWRT. You can use it to connect to a VPN service of your choice.

It supports 3 VPN protocols: OpenVPN, WireGuard and IPsec. Plain OpenVPN is almost always blocked by the GFW, but you may have some luck with OpenVPN Scramble (which the router supports, as well as some VPN services, e.g., StrongVPN). WireGuard and IPsec are usually not blocked by the GFW.

The router also supports DNS over HTTPS, which helps evading DNS blocks.

Itty bitty living spaces. No built in storage. Look at what you’ve packed and then get rid of half of it. Trust me you will not have room for it. Get yourself a lot of crossbody bags. You’re moving to a pedestrian city, so you will be carrying everything you need on your person.

Plan to go grocery shopping 3 to 4 times a week. Don’t overstock on non perishable food either because again no storage. Only buy meat if you intend to cook it that day. They don’t have all of our preservatives and additives in their food. Keep shopping bags in your purse or book bag.

Download WhatsApp and get the family you want to keep in contact with to download it as well. Free video calls and phone calls.

Get yourself a VPN is you want to keep watching Hulu. ExpressVPN is the best and it works on Netflix too. Though French Netflix has a better movie selection than the American on, and you will need a French Amazon prime, your American one won’t transfer over.

Bring a few American power strips with you so you only need one or two adapters instead 6 or 8.

Get the details to unlock your phone from your provider so you can just buy a French sim card till you can get a French phone.

Bring two good pairs of walking shoes, sneakers and business casual. You will thank me later.

If you don’t know French or haven’t started studying do it now. They will appreciate you trying more than you know. Duolingo is free and it’s great

Buy those thingies that hold the mask for you. They make it much better. Example: https://www.amazon.com/Mask-Extender-Strap-Adjustment-Flexibility/dp/B08DXTTKVD/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&amp;keywords=face+mask+holder&amp;qid=1628765926&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNkxVWDAwNFpQU1I0JmVuY3J5c...

I found a deal for a lifetime ownership/license for PureVPN for $40US. I've been using it ever since... 4-5 years, at least.

And while you may not care, note that the Opera browser has a free VPN built into it.

>Every evening after work I fill a couple of applications and the next day (or day after next usually) I get a rejection even without any interviews.

Read The 2-Hour Job Search

many have said. Nord and ExpressVPN seem to be two of the best.

But here is a question: why do US banks care? I mean everyone knows the US gov is crazy and hates all things foreign but why would the banks care so much? I only assume it’s because they are afraid of the IRS and don’t want the risk, or something like that. Anyone know?

Hey, Im a little late to the party, but hope this advice helps.

I just moved on a 6-hour flight with two cats. First of all, our cats are horrible travelers. One is a tortie and vocal enough as it is. They always meow incessantly in the car and a few years ago we moved across the US in a uhaul with them in the cabin and that was a living nightmare (we gave them sedatives to no avail). Needless to say, the cats were going to be the worst part of our trip.

After it was all said and done, they turned out to be the easiest part.

For the carriers we got these carriers that are also backpacks so they were easy to transport. They also have mesh around them so they can see out of it. Thankfully since theyre a sort of fabric, they condensed to fit under our seats. The link is below. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084ZYH8L2/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_glt_i_0M1XB3V8SHN6X0FEPXWY?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

We simply put each cats preferred little knit blanket in each carrier and went on our way. I expected yowling, but these kittys didnt make a peep. I had read a few people online say that the white noise on the plane helps them out, and the darkness of being under a seat too. The only time they stired was during descent when the cabin lights came back on and I assume their ears popped cause we came down fast.

We didnt give them any sedatives as it didnt work before and there can be complications with the cabin pressure.

We did have to quickly take them out during boarding security and walk though holding them, but they were too scared to do anything but hide in our arms.

Also, we stowed some litter and in our carry on and a foldable litter box for a quick set up when we got to our airbnb (we landed in the dead of night so no stores were open).

All in all, no complications, no potty issues, no meowing. They literally (imo) were to scared for any shenanigans.

I use duffels for international travel. They are light, convenient and can be easily packed into a small space. I have a bunch of these ones that are awesome bags. Durable, big enough to haul lots and you you can sling the straps onto your back like a back pack when you need to. Plus, they are light, so you can throw one into another bag if you think you are going to be bringing back more than you brought. And the price is great. I have been on about 20 international flights with mine and have had no issues. I just throw a TSA lock on the zippers and I'm good to go.

>There is a way to get a mobile number before arriving in France?

You can buy this SIM card online here or here with a French phone number that you can use anywhere in Europe. You can only activate once you land in Europe though.

Are you an expat? Are you currently living where social media calls are blocked? Are you looking for the best vpn for android to talk to your family?

Don’t worry, we have a solution for all of your problems. Calling Vpn proxy master unlimited is free and easy to use that helps you to stay in touch with your family. It is best vpn for WhatsApp call and all other social media calls. This Vpn free unlimited is especially for expats currently living in Saudi Arabia, UAE, China, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, Bangladesh.

ExpressVPN was great until they go added to the blacklist the BBC, C4, and ITV use.

Spent almost 2 hours with their support staff repeating the same pointless steps over and over again, and still couldn't get the guy I was talking to to understand what a blacklist is.

ExpressVPN also works well, and has a list of routers that it works with.

Something else that's great with a VPN is that each country's Netflix has different offerings, so you can maximize that service. Cruise though and for any title if the U.S.streaming options don't show one of your subscriptions, change the country. For example, Elf is big with the kids in December, and it's on Netflix Denmark and Spain, but not U.S. or UK.

Surfshark is my favorite so far. Out of the top 3 (ExpressVPN, Nord, and Surfshark), it has the best prices and you can have an unlimited amount of devices on your account. Other providers normally cap you off at 5 devices per account. In the latest tests, Surfshark was tested to have the fastest speeds and since you're going to be using it for streaming, it would be a better option. Since you're looking at installing it on your router, you'll have to make sure you have a router that can be configured for a VPN.

Never tried the Amazon brand but the samsonite duffel has been great for us...no holes and it holds a massive amount of stuff. Great for household moves as it swallows up clothes and shoes like you wouldn't believe. We have four of them and use them yearly for transatlantic hauling.

https://www.amazon.com/Samsonite-Tote-Duffle-Luggage-Black/dp/B003KR1K40

NordVPN has been working fine for me. I have to switch VPN servers every so often to get different streaming services to work (this is normal nowadays though).

Once nice thing is that you can setup an OpenVPN router to always connect to it. We have one wifi network in our place that is connected to local internet and one that routes back through the states.

A year in the merde:

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Year-Merde-Stephen-Clarke/dp/0552772968/ref=pd_aw_fbt_img_2/258-0299494-7988562?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_i=0552772968&amp;pd_rd_r=6f185bf9-d495-42e3-ae6d-5e9498f973ec&amp;pd_rd_w=udgiJ&amp;pd_rd_wg=AmJsI&amp;pf_rd_p=6973...

Me talk pretty one day (David Sedaris) https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Me-Talk-Pretty-One-Day/dp/0349113912/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=me+talk+pretty+one+day&amp;qid=1599682625&amp;sprefix=me+talk+&amp;sr=8-1

Welcome to China. I use Bank of China to move money back to the states, it is the only bank my stateside bank will work with due to the fact they have a branch in New York City. With all the fees, it costs me 50 American dollars to wire transfer 500.00 dollars which is the daily limit. It can take a few hours to a few days for it to show up in Texas bank account. As for shipping stuff, don't bother, just buy it again when you get here. Stuff is really cheap here and the quality is reflective of that. If it is stuff you have to have, then either mail it using the US Post office, it will be expensive but will arrive in 10-14 days. Or you could just pack an extra suitcase and pay excess baggage charges at the airport. When I came I brought 2 suitcases, one with clothes and the second with household stuff, I wanted to use. I do not sleep on other peoples sheets, so I brought a set of good quality sheets with me, a few towels, some silverware and a really good down comforter. You will find most folks show up with 2 suitcases and just buy all the crap they need here on taobao. I also suggest you bring any western OTC things that you normally use, as they will be hard to find here. I brought aspirin, aleve, immodium, and benedryl, lots of benedryl, as the air quality in this country is just awful. I have lived here for 6 years and would be happy to answer any questions that you may have. As for the VPN get it now while you are not in China and I use Astrill. Express was good for a few years and then it became very unstable. Also, depending on what size you are, clothes may be hard to find, as everyone here is tiny!

I've used NordVPN around western Europe and it worked out pretty well so I assume it should work in Poland too. Though I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "American cable provider" because I just used Netflix. Should also note that I'm not American.

I live in France and have an Amazon fire stick. You can get both CyberGhost VPN and slingTV on it. It is exactly like watching TV in the states. It’s all live, there is a DVR and you use the same style guide to browse what is on.

iPhone works fine. I do have my US SIM card in another phone at home for people to call. I moved my phone number to Google Voice and forward to the US SIM card. T-Mobile had a good program for international calls and unlimited data. It's not necessary, but good if you travel back to US often. But I don't use it often. Another advantage is that US SIM cards don't block any websites. It's not mandatory at all, and my wife doesn't use hers at all except when traveling back to US.

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One other thing (maybe mentioned already?). You'll learn all the ins-and-outs of VPNs. Nice to have a VPN to connect to Facebook, Netflix, Youtube, popular news sites, etc. There are lots of free ones, but I use Astrill. Very nice with good service, but it has costs.

Private Internet Access (VPN) , Charles Schwab (Banking) , Lastpass (Password manager) , TrueCrypt/VeraCrypt (Data Protection)
Those are a few things that I highly recommend. Digitizing every single important document. We went as far as to actually laminate photocopies(4 each) of passports and simple documents that often get passed to Hotels and Motor bike rental locations. Allowed us to keep our real passports with us at all times.

You can definitely find some fairly massive wattage voltage converters. (I have a powered standing desk that I literally can't replace the motors on, but really love, so I've been looking into transformers.) I've been looking at this 1000W model on Amazon, that gets good reviews. (usual disclaimers: haven't tried it, don't workfor them, not an affiliate link, etc.)