RELOCATION: If you haven’t watched the infamous TV program called ‘Jersey Shore’ in Australia, perhaps you may be forgiven as an Australian, for not knowing that New Jersey is one of the most well-known states within the US. And while my world geography is actually pretty good, I was a little unclear about New Jersey until I was about to move here over two years ago.
In September, 2009, my husband (K) and I decided to relocate to the US with his multinational CPG employer (‘consumer packaged goods’ company: for those who don’t know this term). So with this fateful decision made, we began the process of moving our lives, our children and all our chattel and goods to another country. Prior to coming to NJ, we had travelled a lot around the world. This is our first experience though at living overseas in another country and its culture. And so far, it’s been quite an adventure! Now you may think, as many people do, that moving to the USA, another Western culture, must be pretty similar to where we came from? Surely this would have to be one of the easiest moves you could make, to experience a different country to live in? Wrong! Well at least for us and many others I have since spoken to.
I couldn’t have imagined how much different living here has been compared to our normal daily life back in Sydney. We had been very happily living in the Inner West in Sydney for only about one year when this offer was made to us. We had already been through the dislocation of moving house, moving schools and the disruption that comes when relocating even just to a different suburb. It was in hindsight, nothing compared to moving here to NJ.
The last two years have been quite a rollercoaster ride in many ways, and as you might have guessed already, not everything has gone smoothly. In fact, there have been many hard patches along the way. Mostly they were in the first year, which I am glad to say, is well and truly behind us.
Checkin chaos at Qantas as we leave Australia for New Jersey, USA.
So now as a trailing spouse, I am finally sitting down to put our experiences into words two years and six months later. And hopefully to pass on advice, help and support to those who intend to move to the USA from Australia, or elsewhere, to try and make their adjustment easier!
Welcome to my first blog post. I am never short on a word or two, and there will be many more posts to come. This blog will share some of our trials and tribulations as relocated Australians; provide advice on how to make relocation easier and record our adventures in New Jersey and its surrounds.
I hope you will join me on my journey!