Expat Survival Tips

1) Don’t be afraid to just put up helpful conversion tables around the house (they can be small and discreet!). I got sick of looking conversions up online every time I wanted to cook, so these hang on my oven and a storage shelf in the kitchen:

2) Get a thermometer with °C and °F – same reasons as #1 plus helps you memorize more approximate conversions.

3) While I can approximate pretty well by now, I still can’t automatically convert exactly, which is needed when cooking or crafting, get a conversion app for your phone like this one: Unit Converter.

4) Plan way ahead for holiday meals, like waaay ahead!

• You may need to order supplies or ingredients online or even bring them back with you the next time you visit home.
• Shop early - stores never seem to be open at reliable hours around the holidays.
• Be sure to pre-order meat several days ahead at a butcher or at the meat counter at your local grocery store. Do your research ahead of time as to what cuts you'll need since they vary from country to country.
• Remember that you may have to visit more than one store or check out a new one to find what you need.
• And start food prep a few days ahead for a big meal like Thanksgiving - with smaller ovens in other countries and more things you'll need to make from scratch, you'll want to make and bake as much the day or 2 before the big day as possible to save oven space and worry.

5) Have a few plug adapters and USB plugs in both directions on hand! This is helpful to have on hand for any appliances you have from home that can handle foreign voltages or for anyone visiting you who may want to charge their phones, tablets, laptops, etc. Plus when you travel back home, you can just grab the plug or adapter for your foreign device.

6) Get an Amazon Fire Stick for your TV and a VPN app to catch your favorite shows from around the world, if your online streaming subscription does not include the shows you want in English. Or at least have a HDMI cable to connect your laptop/tablet to a bigger screen if you want a solution where you can actually hold a bag of popcorn and not squint your eyes. Some use a beamer as well.

1) Actually use snail mail. It is tempting to just send an e-card or an online gift certificate for that special day, but if you find the time to send a card or family pics you printed out, or even a little holiday package, the recipient will definitely be grateful and your bond will be stronger than before. Just think about how much you like to get actual mail and appreciate the extra step! Tip: rather than sending a package, try shipping a gift directly to your friend or family member via the website or Amazon!

2) Invite friends or family to digitally attend an event you are hosting by doing a video call when the party starts. We've had my mom "attend" several birthday and holiday with us virtually. With my tablet taped to a big box or set up near the table, she was able to “sit” with us, see the action, and even take part by singing Happy Birthday with us (even though it got out of sync because yeah, digital).

3) I find I feel like my family back home is more part of my life here if I don’t wait to contact them for a full update session, but rather feel free to send an email or message about something trivial, just to bridge the gap. Just send a picture of your kid doing something silly, an anecdote from your day, or a photo of funny street sign or encounter.

4) See household tip #5 – catching shows from back home in English (or the original language) will keep you somewhat up-to-date on life in the homeland, maintaining at least one line of connection in real-time. Plus sorry not sorry, dubbed shows = not my cup of tea.

5) Get a digital photo frame for your family back home so you can upload pictures directly to it for them to see! They'll need to give you a code to set it up and have it plugged in.

6) This will be a hard one, but accept the fact that YOU will have to be willing to travel more to see friends and family. The person who "moved away" will just be the one expected to travel back more often. Believe me; I know that's not easy to hear or accept, but that's the way it is a large majority of the time. The good thing is that you will get to see your homeland more and see multiple people at a time.

• • Root Beer – Amazon or online US grocery importers, harder to get these days again
  • Mexican cooking – Mex-Al
  • Baking soda – import section of larger groceries, Asian stores. Also in Germany in the baking section as "Natron".
  • Misc. American grocery items – there are various import websites these days, try googling. Also, Edeka or Rewe sometimes have American snacks in the sweets or foreign food sections.
  • Brown sugar – Amazon (buy a few then it’s worth the shipping). I have taken to making my own (1 Tb molasses or Zuckerrübensirup per 1 cup of white sugar, mixed with hand mixer).
  • Maple syrup – baking / cake deco section of grocery store. Germany: Aldi has it!
  • Flavored coffee – some specialty tea/coffee shops have this like Compagnie Coloniale or Stüdemanns, but I find it doesn’t have a strong flavor like in the States. I stock up on my yearly visits
  • Cinnamon candy – sometimes at random stores at the cash register so keep your eyes open! But otherwise you’ll have to bring it with you…haven’t found a cheap source for this yet. Big Red is sometimes available for your cinnamon fix.
  • Cool whip – I have found no substitute for this and it is not available for purchase. I use this recipe: Homemade Cool Whip. Note: this will not freeze well!
  • Pumpkin Puree – you may be able to find it at specialty or larger grocery stores, but I make it myself (cut hokkaido/pumpkin in half, de-seed, put flesh-side down in baking dish, fill with 1cm of water, bake for about 45 mins at 200°C, remove flesh and puree).
  • Rice Krispies - currently Amazon or US grocery import sites
  • Marshmallows - in the candy section of your grocery store. Here in Germany I can ONLY recommend the Rocky Mountain ones since all others have a strange and unusable consistency