BEING AN EXPAT: Whether you are a young person wanting to travel the world, a family transferring to another country for experience/work, or an international retiree, it appears you can never be too old to be an expat. While expat life still retains a somewhat glamorous, jet-setting image, you should know that it is not […] Continue reading → 
MOVING TO NEW JERSEY: Amongst the key attributes that expats and others moving to New Jersey look for when choosing a town to live in, is the presence of a great downtown. To put this into non-American parlance, this simply means municipalities or cities with a great town center area. What makes a great downtown though? Opinions […] Continue reading → 
MOVING TO NEW JERSEY: Having access to a working mobile these days is like having oxygen for most of us. Getting your first cell phone in the USA after arrival is going to be one of your highest priorities. Many new arrivals will still have their own mobile (or cell phone, as it is usually called here) from their […] Continue reading → 
LIFE IN NEW JERSEY: One of the most frequently asked questions from expats when they first arrive is: where to buy furniture in NJ ? Many expats choose not to bring their furniture from home or only a selection. This is in case the furniture does not fit or to avoid unnecessary shipping charges on possibly […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: Probably the most important document to obtain when moving to the USA, after actually getting your visa, is a Social Security Card which provides newcomers with their Social Security Number (SSN). For reasons explained in an earlier post ‘When is a Social Security Number Needed in the USA?’, SSN’s are not necessary for everything […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: For most new expats arriving in the USA, getting a Social Security Number (SSN) is usually a big priority. Even when they are eligible, it can often take up to one month or more before new expats receive their SSN. Unfortunately during those first 4-6 weeks, there are many settling in tasks to do […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: Shopping in America has always meant for me as an Australian, going to ‘the mall’. Outside these iconic centers of convenient high fashion and merchandise, I knew there were other big-store retailers like Walmart, Costco and Toys’R’Us but didn’t think much beyond these. Well it turns out that these big-box (large) retailers are so numerous in America that it […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: How different is the USA to Australia? Well I’d say very different, culturally. But considering we were both colonies of Great Britain only two hundred years or so ago and settled by the same people (Brits originally), you would think that when it came to everyday systems, we’d be pretty similar. Surprisingly, that’s […] Continue reading → 
RELOCATION: Thinking of renting in New Jersey? For many expats this can be a very good strategy. The main benefit being that as newcomers, they can get a comfortable familiarity with choosing where they want to live, before investing a large sum of money in purchasing either a house or apartment. Although quite a number of […] Continue reading → 
EXPAT LIFE: Being an expat must give you early Alzheimer’s. I’m just waiting for the study results to show up one day proving me correct. No, it’s not the stress of moving to the USA that I’m talking about (although that does contribute I’m sure). It is the constant need to check and recheck your spelling when […] Continue reading →