Not in Kansas Anymore…

Some folks find great excitement in the adventure of living abroad. As a child, my military family lived overseas many times…I was born in Spain, my older sibling was born in Guam (not another country, but still counts as overseas in the military logistics realm), and my family lived in Okinawa, Japan while I was in grade school. As an adult, I’ve now lived in Yokosuka, Japan twice with my spouse, and frankly the status of our own country these days makes me think seriously about staying overseas!

There is certainly some romance attached to overseas living, to be sure…exploring new cultures, foods, lifestyle differences, traveling, etc.

It is important, however, to not be blind to the significant challenges of overseas living. To help equip you to be prepared for these challenges, here are some tips:

Food availability- This can be a huge challenge, especially if you have picky eaters at your dining room table. In base commissaries, there are frequently supply issues blamed on shipping delays and quality issues due to the length of time from the picking/baking/boxing of a food item, to the time it hits your table. You will still be stuck buying your local American brand favorites on base, but I’d say I have about a 50/50 split on my groceries between on-base and local groceries.

Tip-Experiment with shopping in local groceries. I find the freshness ALWAYS exceeds that of the commissary, which is contract bound to using certain vendors, even for locally sourced items. You can buy it fresher, and often cheaper, out on the local economy. And honestly, sometimes things may be the same price or a teeny bit more expensive locally than the commissary, but the freshness and flavor always make it worth it.

Spouse employment-The challenge of spouse un/under employment, specifically overseas, can be very demoralizing and carries significant financial impact on families that rely on two incomes. Job availability overseas is extremely limited, making competition fierce, and often does NOT mean that you will be hired, even if the most qualified or with government hiring preferences (such as veteran or spouse preference). Local hiring requirements within host nation agreements further complicate this topic.

Tip-While it cannot help with the family income, volunteering is a great way to build your resume and keep on top of relevant, industry progress. Where I live, there are many ways to stay active in the community, sans paycheck, on the base. We have the USO, American Red Cross, Boy and Girl Scouts, the base schools, The MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation), the base animal rescue, and more! For actual income producing options, many military affiliated nonprofits offer assistance with finding employment that can be completely remote-look at USAJobs, government contract companies, base employment sites, NEX/BX sites, babysitting groups, and research home based business options your area. Also, in a foreign country, often American spouses find great satisfaction and some income by teaching English to locals. Some of these options won’t produce a full, satisfying income, but will definitely help!

Base activities-The availability of many activities where I live is not aligned with the demands of the population. There are consistently lines for base sponsored cultural trips and sports, and they usually sell out. Literally, think Taylor Swift tickets going on sale and people spending hours in line camped out to get tickets!! Ok, maybe not quite that dramatic, but people do form lines hours in advance on the day these opportunities go on sale. It’s kinda crazy, IMO.

Tip-One way to assure your kid entry into a seasonal sport is to act as a volunteer coach for a team. Many, many offerings have a lottery or waitlist-swim lessons, piano lessons, robotics club, elementary school choir! If you want to assure your child a spot, be part of the solution! As far as the cultural trips offered, just grab your camp chair, a mocha, and a good book to pass the time, and hop in line! Our Fleet & Family Center offers tons of classes and experience that can add to your enjoyment to living overseas, especially cultural experiences-language classes, culturally specific art classes, cooking, and more. Learn about your location and take advantage of as many opportunities as you can!

Connectivity-There is basically a monopoly here on internet service. I live on base and here we have a choice of Americable (where I pay $169/mo for the same unlimited data I paid $60 less for in America) or Starlink (requiring a line-of-sight to the satellite, which I do not have as my house is pressed up against a huge hill). Off base, there is the added choice of J-com.

Tip-I’m so sorry, but on this one, I can only say, suck it up…..price out whatever’s available at your specific address and go with it. I confess that I am truly internet dependent and this is a cost I will pay for as a quality of life necessity. If this is not an affordable option for your family, seek out the base-provided WiFi options. Where I live, it’s available almost everywhere on base….the community building, Starbucks, the library, the hospital..etc. It’s not great, but it’s available.

Please don’t let these challenges be a deal breaker if you have the opportunity to move overseas. Many of them can be easily overcome by researching, communicating with folks already living in that area, and mentally preparing for the fact that life WILL be a little different than your life in America! Join social media groups related to the area you’ll be living and ask a lot of questions. Embrace the differences as best you can, and maybe you’ll even find things that you like BETTER! In America, I’ve always lived in areas that did not have great public transportation options. In Japan, I LOVE riding the trains, which are timely, safe, and clean, and I have become totally comfortable using them. 

Seek out the differences that you can appreciate, and enjoy them!

Cheers!

Christine