Let’s be real: moving can make you feel like you are going to go crazy, specially if it is an overseas move to a new country. Boxes, schedules, lists, stuff, calls, coordinating, plans, purchases, sales, more stuff – it’s enough to sometimes make you want to curl up in bed instead of facing it all.

Despite the expected insanity, though, and the reality that perhaps after everything is over you might just want to sit down with a cold beverage and chill out for a few weeks, I still get questions like, “how do you hit the ground running when you move?”

The truth of the matter is that it can take time to adjust. It is not uncommon to be in a period of emotional transition for up to 12 months, if not longer after the relocation is complete. Friendships, routines, favorite spots — they all take time to evolve and develop, grow and strengthen.

So practice patience, both with yourself, the people around you, and with the new town you’re living in.

Sometimes it helps to simply have awareness around all of the things that are going to change. Before you move, take stock of the parts of your life that are most important to you, especially things that you might not be aware of.  Are there routines that are particularly grounding in your life that you’ll want to try and reestablish once you’re moved? What roles do you fill in the community that you’d like to work on rebuilding in your new town? How can you get those very personal moments back into a groove post-move?

Prepare mentally for shifts in your social life as well as any cultural differences you might come up against, not to mention any professional or personal changes that might be coming up. Research your new space and look for opportunities to engage before you’ve even arrived, particularly through online communities or forums.

Most important is to not lose touch with your personal interests and self-care strategies. The only thing you have complete control over are your own thoughts and actions, so stay focused on strengthening your self, engaging in your interests and hobbies, and staying connected to the activities which ground you and stay a part of your life no matter where you’re moving to.

The following guest blog post was contributed by Allegra Stein, The Relocation Coach, helps takes relocations from regrettable to revelatory, teaching you how to use geographic change as a way of learning more about who you are, how you think, and what you want out of life. You can find her at allegrastein.com and on twitter @allegrastein

Did you know 96% of Canadians use the term pencil crayon yet Americans typically call them coloured pencils? And better yet, Brits utilize the term colouring pencils instead. In all three countries it is the same item being termed yet each country utilizes a range of similar words to name the item.

This week the Edmonton Journal published a great article about how there are everyday words only Canadians understand and are deemed confusing to other English speakers. For example, the term parkade is used by 71% of Canadians while in the United States, multi-storey concrete parking structures are typically known as either “parking decks” or “parking garages”.

Moving to Canada soon and want to ensure you are familiar with terms deemed as being “Canadian”? Then check out the full article written by Tristin Hopper in the Edmonton Journal by clicking on the following link Say It in Canadian. And if you have any overseas relocation questions either about moving to Canada or moving from Canada give us a call. Starline Overseas Moving would be happy to assist in answering all your international moving questions.

On behalf of our entire Starline Overseas team we would like to wish all of our valued customers and global moving partners a very Merry Christmas around the world. Warmest wishes to you and each of your families during the holiday season.

Our promise to you is to continue to deliver the best moving services for your valuable goods to destinations all over the world (including the North Pole!) Relocating soon? Don’t delay, contact Starline Overseas today for all your moving and storage needs.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It’s not surprising that great things come from the world’s second largest land mass.

CNN is currently doing a series highlighting superlatives of countries from around the world. Check out the following link to see ten things Canada does better then other countries and if after seeing the article you decide to move to Canada give us a call to see how we can assist with all your moving needs.

10 Things Canada Does Better than Anywhere Else

On behalf of our entire Starline Overseas Moving team we would like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American friends.

At this time of Thanksgiving we pause
to count our blessings.
The freedom of this great
country in which we live.
It’s opportunity for achievement.
The friendship and confidence
you have shown in us.
For all of these things
we are deeply thankful.
Our best wishes for a
Happy Thanksgiving.

Moving to another country can seem like an overwhelming task especially if one does not take the time to prepare properly. One of the most important tasks you can do to prepare for any type of relocation is keep track of all the paperwork involved with the transition.

Checklists are a great tool to have especially when moving overseas because they remind you of all the items or tasks you need to complete before the move, during the transition overseas and after the relocation is complete. One checklist that Starline Overseas highly recommends utilizing is the Remember to Notify Checklist.

Click on the following link to download our free Remember to Notify Checklist compliments of Starline Overseas. The checklist is great for reminding you of all the people and service providers who might need to know you are moving. Even our staff has utilized these types of checklists with their moves in the past.

When should I start informing companies and individuals of my upcoming move? Most businesses typically need two weeks to one month of advance notice of your upcoming relocation. If you are unsure, it is best to check with the service providers.

The Canadian government announced last week that they are looking into possibly reopening the controversial fast-tracked temporary foreign workers program. Former Immigration Minister and current Employment Minister Jason Kenney, indicated he is re-examining how to reopen the program with minimal controversy.  He suggested that maybe access would only be granted to employers who are looking to fill high-skilled positions.  

To read the full article click on the following link, Canadian Temporary Worker Program.

        Many families are celebrating Halloween this week on October 31st. Check out the following link to learn more about the Top 20 cities in America for trick-or-treating according to four separate metrics that were utilized.

          For those celebrating Halloween for the first time after their move to a new city or country, trick-or-treating is a customary practice for children in many countries. Children dress up in various costumes and travel from house to house in their neighborhood in order to collect treats. Neighbors wanting to participate in the Halloween festivities typically decorate the outside of their home with decorations such as jack-o-lanterns.

Happy Halloween from the Starline Team

           Congratulations to our Vice President, Mr. Nate Edwards for being appointed on October 6^th, 2013 to the FIDI Canada Board at the FIDI Canada Annual General Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The FIDI Canada Board works together in association with moving companies across the country to represent the views and interests of FIDI companies.

            In addition, congratulations to the following individuals who were also appointed to the FIDI Canada Board:

• Brian Jones, Brytor International Moving – President
• Derek Duffy, Armstrong International – Vice President
• Nate Edwards, Starline Overseas Moving – Secretary
• Arthur Drewry, Taylor International – Treasurer
• Bob Johnson, The MI Group – Director at Large
• Russ Taylor, Taylor International – Past President

               There is just over a week until the 51st Annual IAM Conference, which is being held from October 7-10, 2013 in the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This annual event is a great time to meet with moving industry leaders and associations.

                On behalf of the Starline Overseas team we would like to welcome all delegates and organizations attending the conference to Canada. We look forward to meeting new members and catching up with fellow colleagues. We want to ensure that you enjoy your stay here in Canada and are prepared for what we have to offer. The following link Welcome to Canada is a great representation of how things are somehow a little different here. Enjoy “Eh!”