Next Steps: Preparing for Our Move Abroad

Making the decision to move abroad was an exciting but daunting step for our family. While some families take the leap without a scouting trip, we knew that with two children, we needed to be absolutely certain that this was the right move for all of us. I didn’t want to go through the expatriation process more than once, if I could help it.

When we shared the news with the kids, my oldest wasn’t thrilled about the idea of leaving behind friends and family. But there was one part of the plan that got them excited—getting passports! The idea of visiting a new country, exploring new cities, and experiencing new adventures quickly became something they looked forward to.

To help them feel more included in the decision-making process, we made planning our scouting trip a family activity. We watched YouTube walking tour videos of the cities we were considering, and videos about the schools that might be a good fit. The kids were captivated by the beauty of the cities and became more excited about the idea of an adventure abroad. Once they were on board, it was time to shift gears and start preparing seriously.

To stay organized, I created another detailed list of to-dos to ensure we were fully prepared for the move. Here’s a peek at our action plan:

• Get the kids' passports and renew ours

• Begin “travel hacking” — For those unfamiliar with this term, it means using credit cards that offer travel points for everyday purchases (like groceries, tuition, insurance). Tip: Never charge more than you can pay off at the end of the month!

• Create detailed budgets — Compare our current living expenses with the projected costs of living in Portugal, and factor in additional costs such as moving expenses, school applications, and new appliances.

• Save as much money as possible — We made sure to only buy essential items during this period.

• Downsize — We sold anything we didn’t plan to bring with us.

• Check with our employers to see if working abroad would be possible.

• Prepare paperwork for visas — This was a major task, and a necessary one.

• Visit our top cities in Portugal—Lisbon, Porto, Braga, and the Silver Coast region—along with our chosen schools to get a sense of where we’d like to settle.

• Start learning European Portuguese!

The First Step: Getting the Passports

Our first step was getting passports for the kids. Neither of them had one, so this was non-negotiable. Since passport processing times were getting longer, we decided to take care of this early on. Once we had the passports in hand, we were able to book our scouting trip. In the meantime, I did even more research into Portugal’s regions, schools, and potential living areas. We narrowed our trip to four cities: Lisbon, Porto, Braga, and the Silver Coast. We decided to skip the Algarve region, as we both come from Florida and wanted a break from the heat.

Maximizing Travel Points

As we planned the trip, I also made sure to take full advantage of travel points. We started paying for everything—groceries, insurance, tuition, etc.—with a credit card that offered travel rewards, and we paid it off in full every month. By the time we booked our flights, we had accumulated enough points to cover most of the airfare, reducing out-of-pocket expenses significantly.

Staying Organized and Preparing for the Big Move

The level of organization required for a move like this was next-level. Though I usually consider myself fairly organized, preparing for this kind of life change was a whole new challenge. I cannot emphasize enough how critical organization is, especially when children are involved. Moving with little ones is tough, but we tried to make it as exciting as possible for them. They were thrilled about the idea of visiting Portugal, but the idea of actually moving was something they weren’t quite ready for—yet.

Here’s a quick list of what we did to stay on top of things:

• Create a detailed budget: Know exactly where every dollar is going.

• Create an ideal budget: This was our goal—where we wanted to be financially before making the move.

• Limit subscriptions: We cut back on streaming services, memberships, and anything else that wasn’t a necessity.

• Take an inventory of everything we owned: We divided our possessions into three categories: Keep, Maybe, Toss. From there, the “Toss” pile was further divided into trash, sell, and donate.

Looking Ahead: The Real Work Begins

As we checked off each task on our to-do list, the reality of this life change began to settle in. There was a lot to do, and we knew that things would get even more complicated as we got closer to moving. But with the right planning and a family that was now on board, we felt more confident than ever in our decision.