As we get closer and closer to our exit date it is becoming clear that moving internationally can be difficult, but moving from one foreign country to another foreign country is a whole new challenge. We do not have the country customs familiarity on one side of the move, which makes it much more time consuming.

Shipping is more complicated than I would like it to be. Not only does the government in Taiwan expect us to pay an export tax on our own items, but Morocco is requiring import taxes. It is annoying to have to pay for our own items. It is not like we are selling them for profit, but apparently that is the rule and well we are rule followers. When doing the cost-benefit analysis, it is still a better deal to ship our belongings over buying new ones.  

To further complicate matters Morocco uses a different plug, voltage, and frequency (hertz) than the US and Taiwan. A few of our items will be okay with a converter, like our cellphones, but other items are proving difficult. One such item I really like and use is my Cuisinart. I know it may sound cheesy, but for someone who likes to cook, to learn that the different hertz level in Morocco will affect the motor’s effectiveness makes me sad. I really was planning on bringing it. It was an anniversary present from my Grandma and it literally was one of my checked bags coming back from the US two years ago. I am trying to get as much use out of it as possible before I find it a good home with one of our friends. 

Sesame is now part of the family ♥, so of-course we are bringing her along. Yes, as you can imagine bringing an animal to different countries takes a fair bit of organizing flights, customs, transportation, etc... We took her to the vet this week to make sure we can take her out of Taiwan. Our vet is checking with the Taiwan government about one of the tests the USDA website says she needs. Other than that, we just need to take her for a checkup within 5 days of leaving Taiwan and they will give us a form to present to US customs. 

Taking her to Morocco is a little more complicated. We have to fly into Casablanca and go through customs there, which is not going to be our home airport. They require a form/checkup from a USDA vet within 24 hours of departure. I know that the vet in the US is going to be much more expensive than it is here in Taiwan. The school let us know this week that dogs are not allowed on the train system, so we will need to arrange for private transportation… which thankfully they are helping us arrange. It is a good thing that Sesame is so cute because it is a lot of red tape to bring her with us. On the bright side, she is going to be a very well-traveled dog when this is all said and done. Can’t wait to introduce her to the family ☺ 

More stories to come as the school year and our time in Taiwan comes to a conclusion. Sayonara for now!