What should you actually pack when moving abroad as a teacher?

In this episode, we talk about packing as step zero of international teaching. Before you can step into a classroom abroad with confidence, you have to get yourself there, and that means deciding what supports your new life and what only adds weight, stress, and airport sweating.

This is not your average moving abroad packing checklist. Instead, we talk about the practical and emotional side of packing for an international teaching move. Trisha & Brandi share personal stories from their first moves abroad, including overpacked suitcases, emotional comfort items, professional clothing surprises, blown fuses, document stress, and the things they would absolutely do differently now.

We cover what to pack for teaching overseas, what to leave behind, and how to think about the first 72 hours in a new country when your apartment may be “fully furnished” but still missing the things that make it livable. We also talk about packing with children, professional dress expectations in international schools, and why classroom supplies usually should not take over your luggage.

Inside the episode:

• Why packing for an international teaching move is both practical and emotional
• How to decide what to store, ship, donate, or pack
• Why professional clothing expectations can vary widely between international schools
• What to know about hair appliances, voltage, converters, and buying locally
• Why official documents should stay organized, copied, scanned, and carried with you
• What comfort items can help you feel grounded in your new country
• How to prepare for the first 72 hours in a new apartment abroad
• Why teachers usually do not need to pack a suitcase full of classroom supplies
• How to approach packing when teaching overseas with family

This episode is especially useful for teachers preparing for their first international teaching job, educators comparing international school contracts, families moving abroad with kids, and anyone looking for a thoughtful teacher relocation checklist that goes beyond clothes and chargers.

Links & Resources

⭐Not-Your-Average-Packing-Checklist: COMING SOON!

📌Teaching Abroad Document Prep Guide https://connectedglobal.org/product/teaching-abroad-document-prep-guide/?v=9c049173fad5

📌Teaching Abroad Visa Checklist https://connectedglobal.org/product/teaching-abroad-visa-checklist/?v=9c049173fad5

📞Book a consultation with us! We’re here to personalize support for whatever choices you are facing. 😊

https://connectedglobal.org/book-a-consultation/

💬 Have a question or story of your own? Drop it in the comments! We’d love to feature listener topics in future episodes

🍬 Find lots of other global education goodies at:⁠⁠ https://connectedglobal.org⁠⁠

💓 Don’t forget to like & subscribe if you're navigating life, learning, and leadership abroad.

What does it mean to wrap up the school year in an international classroom or school?

In this episode, we look beyond the usual end-of-year checklist and explore the emotional, relational, and logistical layers that make international school endings unique. Reports, assessments, classroom clean-outs, and celebrations matter, but in international schools, the end of the year may also mean country moves, new schools, curriculum changes, language transitions, changing friendship groups, and staff turnover.

We talk about how to create closure without forcing toxic positivity, how to support students who are staying as well as students who are leaving, and how to help multilingual learners recognize progress that may not always show up neatly in grades or assessments. We also look at transition tools, language profiles, student passports, curriculum notes, and teacher handovers that help continuity carry forward in high-turnover international communities.

This episode is useful for international teachers, school leaders, and parents navigating end-of-year transitions, supporting children in a new school, understanding international school teacher community, and helping students move between schools, countries, languages, and curricula.

Inside the episode:

• Why international school endings are not only about finishing curriculum
• How to help students process excitement and sadness at the same time
• Why the students who stay also need transition support
• How class rituals, letters, reflection activities, and memory walls can support belonging
• How language profiles can help teachers describe multilingual learner growth more clearly
• Why useful handovers matter when students, teachers, families, and leaders are moving in and out
• How schools can use belonging as a reflection point at the end of the year

Whether you are moving schools internationally as a teacher, supporting expat families through transition, or helping students prepare for their next school community, this episode offers practical reflection for ending the year with care, clarity, and continuity.

Links & Resources

📞Book a consultation with us! We’re here to personalize support for whatever choices you are facing. 😊

https://connectedglobal.org/book-a-consultation/

🍬 Find lots of other global education goodies at:⁠ https://connectedglobal.org

💬 Have a question or story of your own? Drop it in the comments! We’d love to feature listener topics in future episodes.

💓 Don’t forget to like & subscribe if you're navigating life, learning, and leadership abroad.

What does it actually look like to move pets internationally while living and teaching abroad?

In this episode, we continue our conversation about relocating pets internationally by speaking with Mary Ann VanDeWeerd, an international educator and IB PYP Coordinator from New Zealand who has worked across the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Mary Ann has lived and worked in Turkey, Indonesia, Sudan, Switzerland, New Zealand, Thailand, and Oman, and along the way, animals have been an important part of her international life.

Mary Ann shares what she learned from moving a cat from Sudan to Switzerland, navigating pet relocation into New Zealand, and bringing her dog Petal from Thailand to Oman. Her stories make the process feel real, from import permits and rabies tests to airline booking timelines, crate sizing, travel stress, pet relocation agents, and the emotional decision-making involved when animals are part of your family.

This episode is especially helpful for international teachers, school leaders, and expat families who are moving abroad as a teacher, teaching overseas with family, or trying to understand what to include in a realistic teacher relocation checklist.

Inside the episode:

• Why you cannot simply show up at the airport with a pet

• The difference between cabin travel, excess baggage, and cargo

• Why import and export permits can create stressful timelines

• How one small paperwork detail can delay a pet’s move by months

• Why six months of planning is a realistic starting point

• What pet passports, rabies tests, microchips, and vaccination records involve

• When using a pet relocation service may be worth the cost

• How crate training, calming products, and preparation can help reduce stress

• Why researching housing, weather, pet care, and animal-friendly living matters before accepting a move

For anyone comparing international school contracts, navigating job changes abroad, or preparing for life in a new country with pets, Mary Ann’s story offers the kind of lived insight that makes international life feel more possible and more manageable.

Links & Resources

📞Book a consultation with us! We’re here to personalize support for whatever choices you are facing. 😊

https://connectedglobal.org/book-a-consultation/

💬 Have a question or story of your own? Drop it in the comments! We’d love to feature listener topics in future episodes.

💓 Don’t forget to like & subscribe if you're navigating life, learning, and leadership abroad.

🍬 Find lots of other global education goodies at: https://connectedglobal.org