A conversation over lunch on Friday continued over dinner Saturday and got me thinking: We have never really explained why we are here and what we are hoping to accomplish.

So here goes without writing a novel:

Who we are/our love of travel: Brad and I had talked about moving abroad for the 12 years we’ve been together.  Brad did several study abroad trips through college and I had traveled to Europe a few times before we met. My mom was born in the Netherlands, so there has always been a strong tie to family abroad. Our love of travel brought Brad and I to Spain together for Spring Break 1997 after dating for only two months. We’ve traveled pretty extensively ever since.

As technology improved and our careers morphed from being employed by someone else to starting our own companies, a few pieces started falling into place. We started researching different locations and we felt that Buenos Aires, Argentina was the place for us. One book in particular that validated the decision we already made to live abroad was “The 4-Hour Workweek“.  This also gave us some new ideas how to conduct business remotely.

Brad and I sold our house in Minneapolis that we had been in for nearly 7 years. We were expecting Baby G at the time and moved into a condo for a year while we got our business and personal lives in order. We sold most of our larger possessions and sub-leased our office space. All the while, we were still researching possible locations and talking to people. Our focus turned from Argentina to Uruguay as a very family friendly, safe and stable country.

We joke that we spent our 20′s acquiring stuff and our 30′s getting rid of it all. We did leave many sentimental items and valuables in MN for the time being. We’ll figure out if they are coming here or staying there soon.

In March 2008, we took an exploratory trip to Uruguay with Geneva who was three months old at the time. We loved Uruguay and knew this was the right place for us. We told our families of our plans to move a few months later.

Why we are here: It’s a huge contradiction. We want to lead a simpler life. We don’t want the big house with lots of fancy things. I don’t like to shop and I am turning into more of a hippie all the time.

Only because of technology, though, can we be here and do what we do. We need our computers, our VoIP phones and high speed internet in order to work.

We avoided getting a mobile phone here for the first several months and just broke down and got one last week.  We have a nice TV that came with the furnished house, but no cable or antenna, so we can only watch DVD’s. We check news and weather online when needed. We have no car and no immediate plans to buy any material possessions. We do not necessarily want the same standard of life here that we had in the USA because there were so many distractions attached.

What we want to accomplish: We want to have a life rich in experiences without being encumbered by lots of  physical ‘stuff’. Our desire is to travel through South America and see both the cities and the countryside. Sure, I want to have some luxuries along the way, but I’d rather have a good wine, a meal with friends or a massage than a new table for the kitchen or a purse I saw in a shop window. Let’s lead the simple life in regards to “stuff”, but  rich in services and experiences. Services are inexpensive here, so we are living well on a much smaller amount of money than we lived off of in the USA.

I want Geneva to learn Spanish and the Uruguayan culture. I want her to learn to appreciate travel and be comfortable around people and situations that are different to her. I never really liked the 9-5 business world where I may only get to see my child for a few hours every day. Thanks to self employment and a culture that sees kids as a welcome part of the family instead of something you have to leave at home when the sun goes down, we can do that.

I’m not saying a move like this is right for everyone or it’s easy step to take, but there are options and this option of living in Montevideo, Uruguay is right for us right now.

There are many challenges in moving abroad.  One is technology.  What do I bring? How will it work?  Will it work at all?  Do they sell that in Timbuktu? If yes, do I have to give up my first born to get it?  The answer to that last one is…maybe.  Technology abroad–for the most part–is expensive.  

Tech–as it’s always been–is a blessing and a curse.  There are an incredible number of options, but at least we have options.  I give Lisa’s mom a hard time for coming over on “the boat” in the ’50s from the Netherlands.  They actually flew with several stops, including one in Greenland. Either way, it was no picnic.  So even if my computer crashes or my VOIP goes down…I did not have to come over on “the boat”.  Again, options. We can communicate locally and internationally even if that means I have to walk down to the nearest restaurant or McDonalds with WiFi (wireless internet) if my Internet crashes.  WiFi is even available in the parks here in UY and some buses  I’ll have to try that albeit discreetly –if that’s possible– as I don’t want my computer to be relieved from my possession.  You can even sit down at the McCafe and have a “meeting” across the table via webcam.  So you can continue those Starbucks-style meetings if you like.

One challenge involves staying in contact with your “home” country.  For some this may not be an issue if they are severing ties to the homeland.  In our case, we need to work with clients in the United States to allow us to maintain our expat lifestlye and keep up with family.  Thankfully it has never been easier to maintain this connection as an expat.   Even three or four years ago this transition was far harder than it is today.

There are many issues to consider: receiving postal /snail mail, personal and business phone, computer hardware, backing up your computer, power supplies, what technology to bring, watching your favorite TV shows from home, hiring developers or independant contractors. Fortunately there is a tool, a download, a website, or a physically piece of equipment that can address all of these issues. Even if you’re a baby boomer retiring abroad and technology is not your best friend, there are still many tools that are worth the small investment.  I will provide information on several of the travel technology tools that I use everyday in Montevideo… many of these we were using well before the move because they’re just great services. The technology we use untethers us from a physical location and thereby is perfect for a traveler on the go or an expat…well…that’s flat out gone. 

I’m sensitive to you Mac folks…I have not yet joined your ranks, but most of these tools play nice with Mac…probably better.  

I will also talk about some of the challenges of limiting the interuption to my business while navigating the set up process in a foreign country.  There have been pleasant surprises and of course headaches.  I will share it all here.  I may not be able to wait until Monday…there’s so much good stuff!!!

We arrived safely in Montevideo, Uruguay yesterday morning. All is well after traveling 5980 miles in 24 hours with a toddler, two dogs, and nearly everything we would need for a year or longer. We came through tired, but absolutely fine. It was a little more challenging than last year when we made the same trip with our-then- three-month-old and just a few small suitcases.

All totaled, we had:

11 boxes (thanks Richard, those boxes are amazing!!), 2 large suitcases, 2 duffel bags, (which made up our 15 piece limit) 2 dogs, 5 carry-ons, a stroller, carseat, and the baby, too.

For any of you who may be planning such a trip, here are a few things that have helped us immensely so far:

Double wall boxes: These amazingly sturdy boxes are rated for an extraordinary amount of weight (although the airlines have strict limits) and are still relatively light. You can purchase them through the UPS Stores and Fed EX locations for a hefty price. We got most of ours from a family member who owns a Mechanic shop and gets heavy parts shipped to him on a regular basis. The boxes are amazing and withstood about 50 lbs each, three flights and lots of handling.

A travel crib: After much research, I decided to purchase the Baby Bjorn Travel Light before we left. It has been a god-send. While expensive, it packs up small and incredibly light (11 lbs), is very comfortable and has no weight limit since it sits directly on the ground. Our daughter loved it immediately out of the box and we had her sleeping in this for nearly a month before we left. Now it is her home away from home.

Making arrangements before we left MN: We knew that the dogs would not be able to stay with us at the hotel. Made me sad, but that’s life. We contacted the hotel and received a recommendation to a boarding house just a mile down the road. They came to pick the dogs up at the hotel when we arrived, they allow visiting anytime and will bathe and return the dogs to us when we are ready with an apartment.

More to come on our travel tools, adventures, interests, tools. Now, we are on to explore this amazing city and see all there is to see!

The mission of this blog is to share our expat experiences as a family and share the tips, tricks and technological gadgets that have made our lives abroad easier and more fun.  We’ll share our ups and our downs and all that is included in setting up a life in a new city, in a new country, on a new continent, where we don’t completely know the language.