Are you in a situation where hubby has landed a job overseas? Do you have a number of children at foot? Are you excited and nervous at the thought of relocating? Where will you live? What schools will your children attend? Believe me, this list can be non-exhaustive, depending on your anxiety levels.

I too am in the position of contemplating moving overseas – again. I have dubbed this possible relocation ‘third time lucky’. I vow to hit the ground running and if you are in the same position I hope to give you a few tips on how to become a fully briefed ‘trailing spouse’.

In my last blog post on MoM I shared some quick tips for flying with bubs and my christmas experience whilst living as an expat in The Netherlands. If we choose to do so, this will be our third trip back to the Netherlands and we are anticipating this to be a somewhat more permanent relocation. (We have no intentions of repatriating to Australia until our two spirited young lads have finished their formal education.)

I have a number of things to consider and act upon:

• I have a start-up business designing, manufacturing and marketing Australia’s first baby Teesuit. This is a wholly owned Australian small business of which I am the sole director.  The move will mean that a number of small obstacles will have to be overcome when taking my business outside Australia.
• I have also secured a much sought after and hard to come by permanent position, with a Government organisation in a rural Australian city.
• I live on a small farm and am currently in the middle of full renovations (parts of the house still have no ceilings or walls).
• My husband lives and works in Sydney and returns to Armidale most weekends.
• My children are very happy and feel secure in their school (Waldorf Steiner School)
• We have two horses, a dog, cat and soon some chickens that may need re-homing and/or become frequent fliers too.

As soon as you can you will want to check out sites such as Expatica, Internations, Expat-Life and Expat Women to get a feel for life in your new country. There will generally be advice on real estate, schools, language classes and (my fave) International Women’s groups. The women in these groups have already survived what you are doing now and are only too happy to share their experiences to help you make informed decisions about your family’s life ahead. Advice on what areas to live in, what schools to add to your list, where to take the family for the weekend, where to find great coffee or where to take the kids when raining are just a few tips you will find useful.  On a final word, sit back and enjoy the ride…..your chance to explore another world is just around the corner!