Eight Good Things For Writers To Bring Abroad, Part Two

Let’s face it. There are certain things that still make being a writer abroad harder than being a writer at home. A lack of Oreo cookies. An interview subject that doesn’t speak English. Not to mention the challenge of keeping track of payments in several currencies.

But. As discussed in Part One, there are ways to guard against all of these pitfalls. It’s called being prepared. So before you move abroad, or on your next visit home, here are some of the necessities you should consider:

5. A home-country based bank account and a personal banker. Once I saw the fees that my Swiss bank wanted to charge me for depositing a U.S. check (ahem, some of them were bigger than the said check), I was glad to have kept my U.S. bank account open. Now, I send checks from U.S. publications to my mother, who also serves as my personal banker. (Thanks, Mom).

6. Office Supplies. China-based writer Kristin Bair O’Keeffe commented in Part One, “I bring my favorite pens from the U.S. Yes, there are lots of pens for sale in China, but not my favorites. (You know how we writers are about our pens...)." Now I’m not as particular about my pens as Kristin, but when I saw the prices of pens in Switzerland, I suddenly got more particular and now use extra space in my luggage for office supplies. (Why, Switzerland, do you charge so much for everything?) I also have a bunch of printer paper from the U.S. on hand, since paper sizes are different in Europe.

7. Books. In Switzerland (surprise, surprise) an English-language paperback costs about $30. I won’t name the price of a hardcover here, to avoid sudden shock syndrome. So. Guess why each and every suitcase I bring back from the U.S. always weighs 50 pounds? Books. Piles and piles of English books (If you don't believe me, see picture at left. That was one trip home worth of books.). The one alternative I’ve found to heavy suitcases is TheBookDepository.co.uk. They deliver for free, anywhere in the world, usually making their prices on par with, or cheaper than amazon.com, especially if like me, you live in a country without a designated Amazon website.

8. Credit Card. I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but it is much harder (and pricier) to obtain a credit card in Europe than it is in the U.S. Before leaving the U.S. (or wherever your home country is), I would recommend applying for a Visa card that does not charge foreign transaction fees. In the U.S., the best credit card I know about for this is the Capital One card (and no, they are not paying me to talk about them). With this card, I can make purchases anywhere in the world, and the card converts the currencies to dollars using the fair exchange rate and does not charge anything extra for the trouble (and trust, me this is a rare thing for credit cards and will save you hundreds of dollars a year). I get all my statements through email and pay them online with my U.S. bank account.

Did I miss something? If you’re a writer abroad, what things do you find important to take with you from your home country?

Eight Good Things For Writers To Bring Abroad, Part One

Let’s face it. There are certain things that still make being a writer abroad harder than being a writer at home. Unfulfilled cravings for Kraft Mac & Cheese. Foreign keyboards where typing the “@” key turns into an all-day affair. Not to mention those pesky magazines back home that still request that queries be sent by mail.

But. There are ways to guard against all of these pitfalls. It’s called being prepared. So before you move abroad, or on your next visit home, here are some of the necessities you should consider bringing back with you: 

1. A laptop. Yes, you can buy a laptop anywhere, but no, they are not all considered equal. (And I’m not talking Mac or PC here, although my husband might want to argue about that again soon). To make things easier (and most likely cheaper—at least if you’re from the U.S.), buy a laptop before you leave home. Then you can avoid things like umlaut keys and a Microsoft Office that speaks a language other than yours. Just make sure to disguise your new purchase going through the airport (i.e. don’t walk through customs with your laptop in a shiny shopping bag boxed in its original packaging.)
2. Stamps from your home country. While it is almost 2010, some magazines, editors and agents are still requesting stuff by snail mail à la 1985. So you can either avoid these publications and people, or you can make your life easier by buying a set of stamps for those pesky SASE envelopes. The best bet, at least in the U.S., is to buy a set of FOREVER stamps. These don’t have a price printed on them, so when the rate for a stamp increases, these are still good. Thank God. Because I’ve been using my roll now for over three years.
3. A home-country based phone number. Before you go abroad, make your life (and your current clients’ lives) easier by establishing a phone number where they can reach you without having to dial a scary “+” (moms like this too). Go to Skype.com and for about $30 a year, you can have a number with an area code (and country) of your choosing. With a 212 area code, for example, you can live in Switzerland but still never seem far away from your New York clients. By setting up Skype forwarding, your client can make a “local” call, and your phone halfway around the world will ring.
4. Current magazines. If you write for magazines or newspapers, you’ll want to keep current with the latest. But depending on where you live, the magazines may be difficult to find and also extremely expensive (think $14 for one copy of Travel and Leisure at the local Kiosk in Switzerland). While subscribing to a few magazines is an option, international subscriptions can be pricey. So when I’m home, I visit my favorite half-price bookstore, and stock up on various magazines where they’re sold for $1-2 each.

Stay tuned for Part Two next week. But in the meantime, if you're a writer abroad, what things do you find necessary to bring back from your home country?