International Relocation
Articles on international relocation trends, policies and strategies.
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Kayla, a friend of mine, is currently an expat living in Thailand. When she moved there in October, she was excited about the opportunity, but also a little bummed about missing her favorite American holidays, including the upcoming Thanksgiving. The question comes around here every year, how will the expats celebrate the holidays abroad? 
It’s hard to believe that July 4th is right around the corner. We are pretty excited about it here at XONEX Relocation. We tend to be a patriotic bunch, which makes it all the more fun.
But, as I start to make my own plans for next week, I can’t help but think about all of the families who are on international assignments right now. Wholly-American holidays such as July 4th, or Thanksgiving, can be difficult to celebrate in foreign countries – and that can make expatriates feel disconnected and homesick. As such, we do get ask about how to celebrate July 4th abroad, so I thought I’d share some common questions and answers:
Who is excited for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London? Living in Europe myself, I must admit that I am looking forward to all the pomp and circumstance that the Olympics will bring. I think this event will be good for the region, both economically and spiritually, and I am optimistic about London’s ability to host the games, despite some of the noted challenges. I do hope that the Britons and their neighbors enjoy this momentous occasion – even if it’s going to make my job a little more difficult this summer.
When it comes to immigration mishaps I have seen it all. Immigration procedures cause more headaches for employers, assignees and relocation managers than most other parts of the international assignment process. There are a lot of reasons why immigration is challenging, but I have noticed throughout the years that the fault rarely lies with the host country.
Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday in the history of holidays. Anything that involves food, friends and wine is up my alley, but there is definitely something special about this day – and it’s not just my Mom’s sausage stuffing (although I’m sure people could write songs about it). Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on this great country and give back to the community, while also spending much needed quality time with loved ones. It just doesn’t get better than that for me.
Recently, I was chatting with colleagues about some of the international relocations we are managing and it dawned on me: How will they celebrate this year? Can you buy a turkey in China?!
A few years ago, I was working with a client who was transferring an employee from Chicago to Amsterdam. The employee was moving from a 10,000 square foot house and decided to take most of their belongings with them. We found them a luxury villa, which was a very standard 4,500 square feet.
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