5:00 AM Life Decision

I am going to move to Cardiff, Wales for a whole summer by 2014. I'll need a worker's visa and a job there, plus enough money to start me off so I can get there and won't have to be a hobo while I wait for my first paycheck. Apartment hunting will be a big part of it too, especially if I decide that I want to stay longer once the summer is over. If I manage to pull this off, I might even come back with a sexy Welsh accent.

I might even try to make a Kickstarter page for it too. It'll probably fail miserably, but I've got at least a few really good reward ideas for those who contribute well. Does anyone know about how much it might cost to live in Cardiff for one month? If I do make that Kickstarter page, my goal will be to get enough for a little more than my first month of rent and utilities.

So, has anybody else lived in another country for an extended period of time? Any advice on how early I should start making plans? I need to start saving money immediately, but how early should I start job hunting and stuff?

 

>Inb4 "I've slept on this and realised how silly I am"

 

That might happen, but I have actually thought about this for a couple days. Just not as thoroughly as right now.

 

Well, you'd be able to manage on about £500 a month, more for what ever luxuries you want, you'd need to mark down a job before you get there, contact people and come to an agreement that you'll be begin work once you get out there, it'll take a while. The same with getting a flat to live in, you'd have to have the whole thing sorted a decent amount of time before you actually got out there. The whole thing is very complicated to do over seas and it's why most people only go a country they have relatives in willing to put them up with board for a bit and a lot usually give them a job aswell.

To go to a completely foreign land with no connections is an incredible challenge.
(Also no one loses an accent and gains a new one in a year, and there's no such thing as a sexy welsh accent)

 

Alright then, £700 seems like a good Kickstarter goal if I decide to do that. And I do realize that I'll have to start flat/job hunting and obtain a worker's visa way in advance.

And I don't exactly have relatives, but I've got a close friend in Cardiff and one in London who used to live in Cardiff. It's not as good as family, but it's something.

(And the accent thing was kind of a joke. I didn't think anyone would actually take it seriously.)

 

I'm aware of the joke, hence my brackets, I just wanted to point out that the Welsh unfortunately lack any sort of a sexy accent.

 

Make sure you learn how to drive a sheep. Cause you know, no one in Wales has a car.

 

Does not compute.
Moving to Wales is less of moving to a new country, more like moving back in time by 20 years.

I would advise getting a proper Help with Life thread going if you want some serious answers then someone riding sheep.
Where do you live currently, anyways?

 

It was a JOKE. Gosh, you're worse than my friends in real life.

...
And here Frankie Boyle had me thinking that was Glasgow.

Eh, I would have gone there, but I figured that section was for extended discussions about what to do whereas I only needed a little bit of information so I could get started on researching more important stuff.

And I currently live in the United of States of America. I figure leaving in 2014 will give me time to see how badly the election results screwed us over and use that to decide if I want to stay there longer than just the summer. Still won't be permanent unless I REALLY like it, but I might stay for a year or two if I want more from the experience.

 

Twas a joke my end too, good sir. Was simply being stereotypical with my talk of the Welsh.

Well, you're not asking simple questions when the matter concerns emigration, a big decision in people's lives. If you were asking a question like 'How do I make Eggy Bread?' easy enough.

Anyways, I can only suggest looking online for Cardiff costs of living, and such stuff that you need to look up for information.
And make the plans as soon as you want/can. It's best to start early and then change the plan slightly as time goes by.

 

Yeah, I probably overlooked several things, but it is ~two years early. I'm still in the early planning stage, and I hope to have my date of departure decided by January. Then I'll get around to telling my parents as soon as I have living accommodations and a job secured. Like you said, I'll definitely be changing the plan as my life situation changes, but I'm hoping to have everything set in stone by Spring 2014, preferably before.

I'm going to bring a bike over. How big of a technological marvel is that over there?

 

Sone people plan their whole lives for journeys, too soon is never a worry, too late, however, is.

You'll be worshipped as a god among men.

 

Is there a reason why?

Just asking.

 

And so my conquest of the world begins.

I've wanted to go live in another country for a while now, and Wales just seems like the best choice. Canada's too much like America, Japan would be more of a culture shock than I'm ready for, and even though the rich branch of my family lives in the Netherlands, it's hard for me to get along with them without having more familiar family around. I have two friends in Cardiff, it's a short-ish train ride to Amsterdam if I ever want to see some my family, I've heard it has good public transportation, and I'll have access to iPlayer. Overall, I think it's my best option.

 

Yeah, unless you have a job secured before moving, or you have relatives/friends who you can stay with, I'd recommend against it. I moved abroad over a year ago and I'm still living with relatives, and it took me 18 months of looking for jobs in two continents before I managed to find one, and even then it's just a seasonal position.

And note that Vivi said you'd probably need £500/month. I strongly recommend you secure enough money for the entire summer (so 2-3 months, I'm guessing?) before leaving. Cause else you'll be screwed if you can't land a job after all.

 

Yeah, my plan is to stay for about three months and maybe through winter (which I, being from Ohio, may or may not survive) if I really like it there. But I am adamant about finding a job before I even start looking for a place to live. I'll even delay my plans until 2015 if necessary. That way I'll have a job as soon as I get there, rather than having to mooch off of axel-chan viii the whole summer.

And yeah, I do want to have enough to pay my essentials for the whole summer, but I figure one month+a teeny bit extra is a good minimum. Once I hit that and have a job secured, I'll lower the amount that goes toward living expenses by half and start working toward a plane ticket. I realize that there are holes in my plan (point them out, I don't know what they are, just that they exist), but I think it's alright for now.

 

Maybe we have different definitions of the word 'short-ish'..

 

Well it's less than 2 days, right? Considering I'm going to a completely different country from my starting point, that's short-ish. The route I looked up has two transfers, one in London, then another in Brussels from which I'd go straight to Amsterdam. Granted, the fare is 135 GBP, so I would probably only be able to visit once for a couple days, but it would be doable. Certainly better than having to bike across the English Channel.

 

It'd probably be less expensive to fly - and a whole lot less time-consuming.

 

I thought that too.
20 minutes is short to me.
Long is an hour.
I take the second one twice a day, 4 days a week.
It can drain it out of you, truly.

Flyig is the Better option if you're only looking to get to your destination and not to sight see alog the way.
Look up British Airways. Shouldn't cost you much more then 120 out of peak times.