Moving to Scotland? What to Bring and Not to Bring

The majority of emails I receive center on this very question, "What should I bring when I move to Scotland?"

This is such a loaded question because everyone is moving for different reasons. Some have companies to ship all of their belongings, others are funding the move them selves. While some are just bringing what they can carry on their backs. So, I'll keep it to the simple stuff.

I'm going to let you in on some advice. This is from my personal perspective. I've lived here for five and a half years. I wouldn't consider myself an expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I want to make your international move easier than mine.

What NOT to bring::

01. {FOOD} Seriously. I can't even believe I need to talk about this one. Just leave it. Don't waste the suitcase space. We do have food here. All the meats, fruit and veg are represented. Just not all the pre-packaged choices. Which are crap anyway. Once you get here you will be able to fully immerse yourself in the culture and learn about the kinds of foods they eat here. You'll force yourself to try new things. You'll be fine. Trust me. Over time you will learn those items that you really miss. Those are the things you can look for online or at specialty stores. Or maybe bring back with you next time you visit your home country. 

02. {Electrical items} I'm going to get flack for this one. But, I'm being honest. I know there are a lot of opinions on this matter and most don't match my own. But you know what? Those posts are written from people who have recently moved abroad and are using a transformer is what they are doing because they don't know any better. But let me tell you what happens to those items when they are running on a transformer full time--the quit working. I've seen it happen a lot in the last 5 yrs. They aren't designed to run on a different voltage. Running your whole home on a converter or transformer is a fire hazard anyway.

If you choose to disregard this advice then at least know you aren't supposed to run your transformer more than 1-2 hrs at a time {maximum!}. It needs unplugged until you are going to use it. Don't bring superfluous items like your hair dryer, hand mixer and CD player. Those are cheap and can be bought here. Only bring items that can not be replaced immediately.

03. {Most of your furniture} Have I mentioned how small the living space is here in Scotland? No? Well, it is. Your favourite couch won't fit in your living room. It probably won't even fit in the door! Take stock of your stuff and store it or sell it.

04. {Too much stuff!} We're back to the space issue. The lack of closets and storage space is extreme. I know you want to bring your life with you but the truth of the matter is-- it won't fit. Period. It is time to get cleaning and dump the stuff. If it can be bought here then leave it. Just get rid of it!!! You'll thank me. Seriously. It is refreshing.

WHAT TO BRING::

01. {Documents} Bring the originals for as much as you can. From birth certificates to medical records. You'll need more than you think. Leave copies {or another set of originals} with a family member in your home country.

02. {Measuring spoons/cups} They use the metric system here. I've never been good at it. I should probably learn. When you get the urge to bake your great grandmother's chocolate chip cookies you will quickly find yourself wondering where the teaspoons and cups are. Some stores are starting to carry them but they can be hard to find. Save yourself the hassle and just bring them with you. They don't take up much space. You'll only have to worry about finding ingredients! ;) I use onlineconversions.com for any baking conversions that I might need.

03. {Photos} There probably won't be space for you to physically bring them but, scan away! Not to mention most everything is digital these days. Put your favourites on a zip drive or cd and bring them with you. It is the one thing I miss and wish I had here.

04. {Medicine} If you are on any medication then you best be getting a couple months worth. You'll need a note from your doctor to bring it on board the plane too. When you get here you'll need to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as you can to discuss your medical needs. I'm not going to lie, it can take some time. SO it is better to have a small stash while you are getting settled. Throw in a huge bottle of Tylenol and Excedrin while you're at it. Oh, and sleeping aids. Bring it. We don't have a lot in the 'over the counter' department.

It is important to remember that when you are moving abroad, less is more. You won't be able to bring your whole life with you. That is a good thing. Think of it as having a big life clear out. Just take the essentials. We have anything you could need here so you'll be fine. Don't try and recreate your American life. Have a Scottish experience! That's probably a reason you are moving abroad anyway.

ps. There is a part 2 to this post!