Almost a year in the making, we’re only 4 days from our big move to Buenos Aires, Argentina! We’ve done more thinking and planning for this move than we did for our wedding day.
As we make the turn into the final stretch there really isn’t too much more for us to do. I thought I’d recap some of the logistics of preparing for this move as well as what’s still to be done. This is certainly not a comprehensive list.
COMPLETED
General
– Move from LA to Columbus (because when we return, we’ll stay in the Midwest)
– Find a way to make money
– Prepare Maggie’s resume in English and Spanish
– Cancel U.S. mobile phone plans
– Find an apartment in BA for the first month
– Find a place for Bayla, our dog (a future post to come)
Cars
– Leave Maggie’s car with my parents in Las Vegas
– Repair my car from a previous accident
– Leave my car with Maggie’s mom in Columbus
– Get cheaper car insurance
Banks & Money
– Save, save, save! We’re not at our goal, but there’s no turning back now!
– Get a year of forbearance on student loans
– Open new personal accounts that have zero international and ATM fees (more on this in a future post)
– Open business bank account
– Change to paperless option and set up online transfers between all accounts
Packing
– Buy hygiene products now
– Buy any and all clothes we’ll need (because clothes cost more in BA)
– Photo copies of Passports
STILL TO DO
– Find two more suitcases
– Get my car registered in Ohio
– One last oil change for my car
– Cancel California car insurance
– PACK!
We’re basically ready to go! It helps calm our nerves that we’ve done so much planning. Our main nervousness concerns finances. We’re not just visiting Buenos Aires, we’re moving there. We have to be successful. My hope is that I can find a place to sit down and work on the Internet most of the day without distraction. Maggie’s hope is that she can find a decent job (tutoring or teaching) early on. Time will tell. We’re hopeful.
Before We Age 
One thing we did in Guate was carry fake photocopies of our US drivers licenses as IDs. I don’t know if in BA you need a separate drivers license or if the accept a US license, but in Guate this was acceptable for driving. But so that they didn’t get lost, stolen, or held for bribes, we got color photocopies of the licenses made, placed them front to back and then have them laminated and cut to look convincing. We carried them around in our wallets and foreign law enforcement didn’t know the difference. Never got asked for a bribe but it gave us peace of mind knowing our real licenses were back in our apartment. Also, in Guate you could get an authorized photocopy of your passport to carry around as well. Just a couple of thoughts. Excited to see lots of photos of your new life!
And I’m sure PRAYER is on every list, and with every breath! Everything is going to be fine!