Moving Quotes

I decided I would see how much it would cost to ship our household goods to Honduras. I went to: http://www.internationalshipping.com I got three shippers who emailed me right away.

Most of the emails said that the quote is good for 30 days. So maybe I am doing too much, too quick... But I rather know the hole that is about to be put in our pocket. You can never be too prepared.

One World Cargo- (866)961-6550 I spoke with Mia. They quoted me at 3,950. She told me that their company would drop a 40' container at my house and then pick it up and send it to the port. It would take 6 days to arrive in Honduras. This seems a bit too fast since I do not have an address in Honduras. I also do not have friends and family to help load the container. She said it would get 5 days for free in Honduras. I will call her back a month before it is time to move.

City Move- (888)794-8808 I spoke with Mike, He asked me for an inventory of what I would be taking. They provide moving blankets, taking apart the furniture and loading. They can hold the cargo for 30 days for free and then it could take up to 2 weeks to ship. This is good since I do not have an address yet. He said he would call me in a couple of days with the actual quote.

International Van Lines- (855-674-7447 I spoke with a woman named Judy. I told her I would be packing my own boxes but would like for them to pack my big items and they go from door to door. She didn't ask for a break down in items, but did tell me that I would need a 40' container as well. She said she would call me back once she hears from her Honduran team.

Maybe it would be best to unpack our own things because when people in Honduras see Americans... They see $$$. I know that they will charge a lot more then just regular Joes on the street. We will decide that when the quotes come back in. Gustavo has a lot of cousins so why not put them to help us!

Slowly but surely

Everyday I pack something else in the house.

Day 1: Winter clothes
Day 2: Extra kitchen dishes
Day 3: Mimi's Room
Day 4: DJ's room
Day 5: Craft closet

The more and more that I pack the more I wonder...
- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
- WHAT IF THE HOUSE DOESN'T SELL?
- AM I PUTTING THE HORSE BEFORE THE CART

I think that I am doing the right thing. I feel like the less clutter in the house, the better the house will sell. One realtor told me that we should get a storage unit, but I feel like that would be a waste. I might as well just store everything neatly in the 2 car garage!

Throwing away a lot of things that we haven't used in a long time or selling them in a yard sale is going to help us either way. I feel like the more prepared we are now, the less stress later.

 I also requested a quote for shipping.

I quoted for 3 Large bedrooms... Basically 9,000 lbs. from Tampa to Tegucigalpa. I am waiting to hear back from them. I feel like having a plan is the best way to move forward so we know how much is needed for the move and how much liquid cash we will have.

We have a four bedroom home but I really do not think that we will be taking the twins' small toddlers beds.

I really feel like things are becoming real. I have to fully commit myself for this move. I talk to the older children almost daily about the move. I do not want them to feel overwhelmed.

Right now I do not know if we will take the big kids with us straight to Honduras or leave them with Grandma for the Summer. At this point, I want to take them and leave the twins with Grandma. I feel like that will be best to acclimate the older kids and also give us some one on one adventure time.

Feeling so many emotions right now!

How, why and when

I have found that when I tell people about our plan to leave, these are the most popular questions.
-How
-Why
and mostly
-When

So here is the plan...
HOW: We are putting the house on the market. I am hoping it will sell in a month or two.
WHY: Because I do not feel like living in America is the ultimate goal in life. I see the country very divided. I want to live comfortable somewhere and I love to travel.
WHEN: SOON. That is the "In the box answer" or "when the kids finish this school year"

I am trying not to overwhelm myself or feel like I will have so much to do when the time does come. So I am packing and de-cluttering here and there. Makes me feel a bit more in control.

I have always been in logistics. My whole life has been figuring out how to get things from point A to point B. Just recently I had a change in career paths and now I am a Full Specialist and a Microblader. Luckily, that work can be done anywhere!

Just follow your dreams!

-XOXOX

Price of Living in Honduras

Restaurants	Avg.
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	5.00 $
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	22.57 $
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	6.00 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)	1.32 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	2.25 $
Cappuccino (regular)	1.52 $
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)	1.00 $
Water (0.33 liter bottle)	0.57 $
Markets	Avg.
Milk (regular), (1 liter)	0.97 $
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g)	1.43 $
Rice (white), (1kg)	0.95 $
Eggs (12)	1.73 $
Local Cheese (1kg)	3.00 $
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg)	3.64 $
Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)	8.89 $
Apples (1kg)	3.15 $
Banana (1kg)	0.97 $
Oranges (1kg)	0.99 $
Tomato (1kg)	0.55 $
Potato (1kg)	0.85 $
Onion (1kg)	0.53 $
Lettuce (1 head)	0.65 $
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	0.84 $
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	8.88 $
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	1.00 $
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)	1.50 $
Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro)	1.94 $
Transportation	Avg.
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	0.56 $
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	23.00 $
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	3.00 $
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)	2.64 $
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	10.00 $
Gasoline (1 liter)	0.91 $
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	17,543.42 $
Toyota Corolla 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car)	24,000.00 $
Utilities (Monthly)	Avg.
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment	51.56 $
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans)	0.14 $
Internet (10 Mbps, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	37.18 $
Sports And Leisure	Avg.
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	49.14 $
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	10.00 $
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	4.77 $
Clothing And Shoes	Avg.
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	57.60 $
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	34.94 $
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	87.50 $
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes	91.69 $
Rent Per Month	Avg.
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	278.10 $
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	260.00 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	547.33 $
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	541.00 $
Salaries And Financing	Avg.
Average Monthly Disposable Salary (Net After Tax)	397.05 $
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly	10.00

I got these numbers from: Numbeo You can see the full report there.

I forgot about the METRIC system! Darn you American schooling! I think everywhere else I have ever been has been Metric!

Some things are def cheaper than here in America. I am starting to feel a lot more confident in our decision to move.

I have been to Honduras many times but never really paid too much attention to EXACTLY how much everything costs! I did grocery shop but I never really ate fast food when I was there. I will be more diligent now and help this website as well!

Looking at a list like this also helps me know what I should bring from America.

My Fear is Failure

My biggest fears for moving to Honduras are as follows:

- Schooling for the kids
- Work for my husband and I
- How to move the pets? (2 cats and a Rot)
- Residency
- Language barrier
- Crime
- FAILURE

We are basically starting all over when we get there. I am 32 and I feel like I have been quite successful in my life. I think that FEAR is what is holding me back from finding true happiness. I want to live my life to the fullest and have no regrets. I did everything the right way and I have always played it safe.

I do not want my children to feel like they have to conform to the standards set upon them by society.
- High School
- College
- Get a job
- Get married
- Buy a house
- Have a baby
- Work everyday...

The Plan

 You never know how much you accumulate until it is time to pack up. Over the last six years, I have lived in Afghanistan, Oklahoma, Iraq, Kuwait and Florida. I thought I wanted roots and stability for my family, but after three years of living the American Dream, I am ready to explode! I am so bored.

I decided to call a realtor friend of mine. She came to my house and now I am ready to sell. Moving to Honduras is seeming closer than ever!

The kids will be in school until the end of May so there is a bit of time to get everything together.

SO- Where do I start? I needed to make the house more appeasing to buyers. I started packing "extras" to reduce clutter. I packed up winter clothes, my hundreds (just kidding, more like 10) wine glasses and shot glasses, movies and books. Slowly but surely the boxes are beginning to stack up in the garage, What in the hell am I doing?

Leaving America

 This year thousands of Americans have said that they will leave the country if Donald Trump was elected. Although my reasoning for moving is not based solely on his winning of the election, it surely did help expedite it.

 I am frightened to know that a man can go to war with a country in the middle of the night over a simple Tweet.

 Since January 20th, I have had about fifty anxiety attacks. I am worried about the direction of our country.

Luckily, I have never had a problem moving about and I actually enjoy it.

 The American way of life is simple- Go to school, get a job, work until 65 and then... Enjoy retirement. My husband and I happen to think a little bit different. We tried to live the American dream and it just wasn't cutting it for us. It just seems unfair to myself and my children to live paycheck to paycheck. We were happier while living abroad. Traveling, trying new food, and going out often.

 My husband is from Honduras and my best friend is from Republica Dominica so those are places I have been several times and would consider living long term.

 Ultimately, we decided to move to Honduras. My Suegro (Father in Law) is a corporate lawyer and could help us with the legality of everything...

I wake up every morning and pray that I am making the right decision. There is a lot to worry about. The adjustment of my two oldest children is perhaps the most worrisome. I talk to them about it often. However, I know that they will be able to pick up Spanish and adjust. The thought of living a nice, comfortable life for 1200 a month truly excites me.