Recently, I got many DMs and comments about how cool it is that I’m moving abroad for my new job.

Which is true

However, I was already living abroad in Spain and traveled the world with only a suitcase for 1,5 years, so I lost my rose-tinted glasses long ago about moving between countries.

So here are the realities you have to face:

1. It’s time to declutter

The first step is going through all of your belongings and deciding what you want to take with you into the new country.

Believe me, this is the hardest and longest part. Most of us can’t afford to send all of our personal stuff abroad, so if you don’t have a storage unit or a family member to keep them for you, you have to be brutal with this.

Your first realization will be that you have way more stuff than you remembered.

Then, you will find all those little memories and trinkets you forget but can’t let go of. A sweater from your university years, a necklace your grandmother gifted you, or some spare change from your trip to Peru.

These little pieces tell your story and are sometimes hard to let go. So prepare for a good cry.

During previous moves, I had the luxury of my mother saving our belongings for us.

Pictures, books, or even some clothing items could stay with her until we could grab them during a visit. Don’t get me wrong, I was still brutal before but I had a Plan B in case of some unusable but emotional pieces.

Leaving Barcelona was different.

My partner and I had one checked luggage, one carry-on, and one backpack per person. Not much to pack, right?

After living out of a suitcase, I’m the queen of packing, but I still had to cut 50% of my wardrobe, all of my books, and much of my studio equipment. As you can imagine, it is quite an expensive thing to do.

2. Good luck selling your stuff

You can’t take all your belongings with you, so at least a month before that move, you must start selling your life.

The bad news is that nobody will pay the fair price.

You will sell your TV for buttons, give away the expensive knee-friendly yoga mat for free, and your books… Just try to donate them.

We were also stuck with all of our office furniture and home appliances. Nobody wanted to buy those.

So the night before our move our friends take everything for free.

I love those people to death and was so happy to give them our things. But still, we lost over 3000 Euros that night alone. This money could have easily paid for our new apartment in Toronto.

On the morning of the move, I had to cut another 20% of my stuff. Even without weighing it, I knew my suitcase was too heavy. So, my memorabilia from our travels had to be thrown out of the trash.

To rub salt in my injury, some homeless man was digging through the garbage bags, and I had to watch my memories being thrown to the street and cars running over them as they were not fast enough to dodge them.

Fun times.

3. Happy Meal Menu

Now, if you move abroad, don’t forget about luggage restrictions.

As I mentioned, I was sure my checked luggage was over 23kg, and was ready to pay extra.

What I didn’t anticipate was being 15 kilograms over every limit and having to throw out even more stuff at the airport.

Crying over a Happy Meal menu a few minutes later really felt like an SNL skit.

4. What’s next?

I’m staying in the Netherlands for the next few weeks and have already decluttered 10 more kilograms from my suitcases to avoid anymore extra fees.

At least I can torment children in the future with the “I only had the shoes on my feet when I arrived in Toronto” sentence, which is at least something.

I’m sure for some people, this whole article feels like my way of telling you not to move abroad.

This is false.

I can’t wait to start working with my team. I can’t wait to explore Canada. Heck, I even decided to get rid of some winter clothing instead of the snacks I wanted to bring as gifts.

This is the most excited I felt in a really long time.

But moving across the world is still the most stressful thing to deal with. ( Especially during the holidays. )

🎉 Cheers,

Fanni Sophia