10 Things You Need to Know: A Practical Guide for Internationals Moving to the U.S.

By Sheala Vast-Binder

We all know moving is difficult. Packing. Saying farewell. Resettling in a new place. These are bittersweet moments for us all.

However, moving away from your homeland is beyond difficult. Relocating to another country is one of the hardest things a person can do. Learning another language. Connecting to a new community. Adapting to an unfamiliar culture. Putting down roots can often take years, but this book will guide you through the transition.

“10 Things You Need to Know” is designed to offer support during the in-between time, the interval between leaving your home country and when you’ve adjusted to a new life in the U.S. In this practical guide, you’ll find helpful information about the type of clothes you need, transportation options, visiting an American home, and more! All ten themes are inspired by the author’s personal experiences and those of her many International friends.

You don’t have to take this huge step alone. Let the knowledge of others remove unnecessary anxiety and make your move easier.

Welcome to the U.S.A.!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sheala Vast-Binder
• Release date: Jul 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311090355

Sheala Vast-Binder

I have an M.A. in Religion with a concentration in World Religions. Over the years, I have worked as a college campus minister, writer, editor, researcher, media specialist, social services program coordinator, non-profit executive director, and start-up leader. I currently serve as a tech apprentice in St. Louis, MO.For leisure, I garden, walk, and relax with my family and friends. I love traveling and am an avid reader! I enjoy mysteries, sci-fi, and fantasy--adult, youth, and juvenile. I also enjoy Christian theology and most things related to the faith of other people. I love learning!To learn more about my work, please visit my website: www.shealavastbinder.info.

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PREFACE

Dear Reader,

Since you're reading this book, I'm making a couple of assumptions that I think I should share with you. First, I’m assuming that you plan to move to the United States soon. Whether this is for a short or long stay, let me be the first to welcome you to our country! I am so glad you can come, and I hope this book makes your move easier.

My second assumption is that you speak English. Thank you for being gracious enough to learn my native language. I wish that I was talented enough to learn every language of the people reading this book. However, I am NOT that gifted so let me give you a tip about American English. If you don't know already, Americans use a lot of slang, or words and phrases that are extremely informal and not typically included in a dictionary. Our slang varies from one area to another and changes frequently, especially among young people.

Because slang is informal language that is often loosely defined, I will do my best to avoid slang in this book. However, I can't promise that I will always be successful since it comes so naturally to me as a native-born American. If you encounter slang in this book and don't understand what it means, please feel free to contact me at [e-mail]. I will do my best to clarify my original meaning.

With that said, let us begin our exploration of 10 things you need to know when moving to the United States. Enjoy the journey!

Sheala Vast-Binder

July 1, 2014

Section 1: Climate & Clothing

When moving to the United States, you’ll want to learn about the climate of the place where you will live. Because the U.S. is so large, the climate varies greatly from place to place. For example, if you move to Houston, TX, you will experience hot humid summers and mild winters. However, if you move 3 hours away to Austin, you will have hot dry summers with mild winters. In Amarillo, you’ll encounter hot summers that are sometimes humid but mostly dry, and winters with periodic snow. These differences occur all in the same state. Imagine how different the weather is from one coast to another! Imagine also the effect these differences have on the types of clothing you need.

CLIMATE

Not only does climate dictate how you dress, it often determines how you get from place to place (which we’ll discuss more under transportation). Climate also affects your work environment and childcare needs since schools often close for snow days. If you are tempted to ignore the climate where you’ll live, I would strongly encourage you to rethink that approach. Climate matters!

To help you understand the variations of climate throughout the U.S., I’ve included a chart listing the average high (daytime) temperatures for the 25 largest metro areas in the U.S. However, temperature is just one part of the climate equation. Rainfall, snowfall, and humidity also affect how weather impacts you. To learn more about the climate of these or other cities, go to www.weatherspark.com or www.weather.com.

Endnotes

1. List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Apr. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.

2. Average Annual Temperatures for Large US Cities. - Current Results. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.

CLOTHING

Because of the variations in climate in our country, it is important to know what clothes you need to bring or buy once you get here. Since winter causes many problems for Internationals who move here, let’s begin there.

Wintertime

Often Internationals see Americans wearing lightweight fabrics during the winter and assume that it is safe to wear their lightweight clothes from back home. However, as a Colombian friend reminded me, looks are very deceptive! Many Internationals don't realize that in colder climates an American wearing a light sweater probably has multiple layers of clothing underneath or is wearing long johns. Long johns are thermal undergarments specially sold to wear under clothes in the winter. They tend to be light weight but very warm. If you don’t want to buy long john pants, you can wear leggings or any other tight fitting pant under your outerwear. For shirts, you can either get a long john shirt or wear a t-shirt under a sweater. The best fabrics for the winter are wool, flannel, cashmere, fleece, and down (for coats). Silk is good for the layer you wear close to your body. People typically determine how many layers of clothing to wear based on how cold it is outside. It is not uncommon for people in extremely cold areas to wear 3-4 layers of clothes during wintertime!

For colder climates, you also want: 1) a hat that covers your ears; 2) a heavy scarf; and 3) winter gloves or mittens. If the place where you’re moving gets more than a couple of inches of snow at a time, you’ll want knee high boots that are waterproof and insulated. If you tuck the bottom of your pants into the top of the boots, then they’ll keep your pants dry as well as your feet!

Summertime

Although winter seems to cause the most difficulties for Internationals moving to the United States, it is important to note that summer, especially in our southern states, brings its own set