My own relocation experience

Two years ago, I moved to Miami with my family. We were thinking about relocating for several years. My husband is a music producer. I am an author and a beauty entrepreneur. Both of us were in a stage of our life where we felt we needed a new ground to push our career perspectives further. We had done pretty well in France, but we wanted to experiment new people, new mindsets and we had our eyes on Miami because it is a multicultural and global city, near the sea, on the east coast, not too far from Europe, with a lot of sun and green space: perfect with two young boys to raise.

It took us approximatively 18 months between our decision to move and the actual relocation. We figured out how to get a visa, where we wanted to live, we choose our kids future schools, we even sold our house to grow our savings to secure our first expenses (international relocation costs, lawyers and administrative costs, rent deposit, car…), and we started building our professional network before we arrived in Florida. And we weren’t doing it with the help of a corporation; it was 100% self-funded.

In two years, we have moved three times and created two small companies in the US while still doing business in France, our native country. When we look backward, we’re still amazed about what we did, especially with kids, because it makes the risk higher and the stress greater. But we don’t regret it even if life in the USA is challenging, it is an incredible experience that teaches you a lot about yourself, your strengths, it broadens your perception and your capacity to think outside the box.

In the process, I’ve learnt two main things: Sometimes a place will appear to you a certain way from afar or when you come on holiday, but living for a long time somewhere is a very different thing. The glow you might perceive is rarely 100% effective. Every system and country has good and bad sides.It also can make you look at your home country with more indulgence and objectivity. Before we left, we were tired with some aspects of France and convinced that it could only be better in the US. We though for example that our administration was too complicated and not efficient enough. I am now convinced I was wrong after having had to deal with immigration here. Administration in France is fairly efficient and when it is not, it may be compared to all the administrations in the world that tend to be focused on hierarchy, tracing every steps, it’s a type of mentality that makes things run slow. We also thought that people doing business in the US knew more things than us in general, that they were kind of special, more knowledgeable. Now that I am here, I re-evaluate this and realize that it is the American soft power and cultural impact that makes us think that way rather than the reality of the people’s actual knowledge or talent. It is the same thing for people thinking about France as this romantic vintage country, they are totally wrong and might be surprised when arriving there. This image is the result of France’s international image: luxury, wine, old castles, cuisine… old fashion stuffs that says nothing about the vibrant modern multicultural France in which I have always lived. We also thought that people in the US were more eager to take risks when it comes to hiring someone or funding someone. From my experience, what I have found here in Florida is comparable to what I experienced in France in that matter: everything is easier with a network, people are risk averse and it takes time to build a relationship that allows you to go further and have opportunities.

As a conclusion, the best way to be prepared for a move abroad and cope with the unexpected surprises you may find along the way is:

-              Make sure you have accurate and recent knowledge about what type of visa you could be applying to. A lawyer or professional consultant might be the best plan but try to evaluate how relevant this professional is: make several quotations, speak with several people and double check what is said to you. I’ve had a poor experience with my first lawyer that I choose too quickly. I was lucky enough to be fluent in English and capable to check what was said, but I lost money in the process.

-              Secure your funding and your main source of income, because your worst-case scenario might happen and you need options in that situation, especially if you have a family.

-              Don’t overload yourself, moving to a new country requires agility, you don’t want to be stuck with heavy furniture and too many luggage when you’re figuring out what is the best place for you to live in a new country.

-              Learn the local language: When arriving in Miami, we all thought that our knowledge of English would be enough for us to communicate. Surprisingly, Spanish is almost as important as English and being able to speak it makes a lot of situations easier. So when selecting a country, it is relevant to learn the basic language knowledge to be able to connect easily with people that might help you understand the landscape.

-              Speak to people who has been through the process or seek the help of local professionals, so that you have accurate information to help you assess your budget and monthly expenses.

-              Have a plan B: either being able to return home or go somewhere else, because you might not like what seemed appealing on the first place, or it may not be a plan for the next ten years, even if the experience is interesting. We sold our house before leaving but we bought a smaller apartment that is rented furnished, so that we have a place if we decide to go back. The grass is not always greener abroad but it might be, and you have to check it personally without putting yourself in danger.

In my future articles, I’ll share with you some of the reasons that might help you consider France as a potential exit plan if you want a relocation experience or if you feel you’re not aligned anymore with your country.

Speak soon, Bilguissa