This week, I'm taking a break from my Rio story to talk about something else.
Don't worry, there will be a part 3 ...eventually.. :D
I love to travel, I haven't done it all that much, but I have a bucket list of places I want to visit before I die. And I'm determined to make it happen, by God's grace. If He can get me to Brazil, I'm quite sure He can get me to Japan in 2020, to watch my sister Maria take part in the Olympics there (I'm claiming it!)
But anyway..I've always wanted to travel for as long as I can remember...but when I was younger, I just never considered it as something I'd be able to do with much regularity...which is kinda hilarious when you consider I was flying back and forth between Trinidad and Barbados 3-4 times a year,
I'm not entirely sure what made me want to study in Barbados, I don't know if it was the time my mother went there to mark CXC exams or because I had wanted to study law at one time and found out that you have to do two years of study there, but I was certain that I wanted to go to the Cave Hill campus. So much so that I applied to exactly two universities. Cave Hill and another university in the U.S. I didn't even consider St Augustine. My reasoning at the time was that the St Augustine Campus was too dreary...totally valid right? Also, they didn't offer the subject combination I wanted to study at the St. Augustine campus, so that was further confirmation that I should go to Barbados.
But also, I just knew in my heart that there was something special for me in that campus/country. Little did I know it would turn out to be my husband. Long story short, I met my husband while studying in Barbados in 2007, we were in a long distance relationship for almost 8 years (I have do also do a post on that as well) and I was flying back and forth between Trinidad and Barbados 3-4 times a year. Ent I wanted to travel regularly? Take dat!
We got married in February this year. So, yes, technically I'm a newlywed lol. We had discussed a long time ago that I would be the one to move, because as I'm self employed, I am more flexible. Also, no offense to Trinidad, but I feel like Barbados is a little more family oriented than Trinidad and I'd prefer to raise our children here. So amidst all the wedding planning we also set a date for me to move, cue the excitement!
Moving to Barbados to study was somewhat of a challenge, as I'd never lived abroad before. Moving back home, was less of a challenge, mainly because my mother helped me pack (i.e did most of the packing). However, moving there for good, was just insane.
Moving makes you realise just how much of a hoarder you are. And how much JUNK you keep for absolutely no good reason. I mean, if you haven't used it since University, you really think you gonna find a use for it in the next ten years? THROW IT AWAY!
You would not believe, but after almost ten years of travelling between Trinidad and Barbados, you'd think I'd get the hang of packing right?
NOPE
I still have an entire box of stuff that has to be shipped from Trinidad, because I underestimated (as always) what could fit in my suitcases.
I should really have brought across more stuff on my many visits to Barbados, so as to make the final process much easier. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20.
So let me tell you how moving 15 boxes of stuff to Barbados went.
I was trying to find a freight company that would ship it fairly cheaply and I came across Tropical Shipping. So I contacted them, explained that I was migrating and enquired about the process. It sounded simple enough.
Of course Renee cannot ever go through a process without some sort of drama...
I got the schedule for the days the ship was to sail for Barbados. The rule was, the items to be shipped had to be in the warehouse (somewhere past the lighthouse..also known as Point Lisas ) by the Monday of the week of the sailing, as the boat sails on a Thursday. Ok no problem.
And I thought that was it..
Not a chance of that!
Two Mondays before I am due to leave, I show up at the head office in town to make my payment and to get proper directions as to where their warehouse is located. I give them my name and the invoice number and everybody watching me all confused...amm ma'am..were are your export documents? We don't have anything from you.
WHAT???!!!
Kindly explain thyselves please dear sirs....
Them- Well..you're supposed to have shipping documents and a bill of lading...you have a broker?
Me- A who??
Me- but I was emailing a member of your company for weeks and I enquired about the process and she told me to do xyz and I did it.
Them: Ok lemme put you on to a broker.
They call a broker named Mario who was a complete GODSEND and who explained the new process to me.
Apparently, the regulations for shipping items out of the country (export) have changed. Back in 2009, when I was shipping my stuff back to Trinidad, all you had to do was show up at the port and they'd put your things on the Caricom boat, hand you some documents, give you the name of the freight company in Trinidad who would give you some more documents to take to the port and you'd collect your stuff, pay the fees and go home. Easy ent?
Not so anymore.
Now all exporters must register with the ministry of trade and be in their database and get some number to be able to export stuff. And of course, due to gov't bureaucracy, it takes two entire days to apply and get approved. So, we had to do this entire process and get it sorted in a week, because there was only one Monday left before I migrated, and those boxes had to be on that boat come hell or high water. And I intimated as much to Mario. So he acted as my broker and got the documents.
The next adventure, trying to find the warehouse in Point Lisas with my dad. My father does drive all over Trinidad, he know plenty places, but hadn't been in Point Lisas in a while, so neither of the tow of us had a clue where we were going. Thank Gd Mario agreed to help us out. And with all of that we STILL managed to get lost...
But we found Mario and get to the port at Point Lisas...except we weren't supposed to conduct the transaction at the port...it was supposed to be at the shipping company's warehouse location...and we found this out after waiting in line..for near two hours...
So another set of driving in circles until we found the warehouse and got more documents and got the items on a pallet to be shipped. And just in time too!
What a day that was!
Thank God as always, that everything worked out!
So with all that said,
Here are some tips for moving:
- Plan ahead
- Make a list of items you absolutely will keep.
- THROW USELESS STUFF AWAYYYYY!
- Think about how you normally go about your day and make a list of things you use, it will help you to better plan what to pack vs what to throw away. Trust me. I have things I left in Trinidad that I really want right now and there's stuff I brought and I don't know why I did...
- Get a good broker if you're going to ship abroad
- Find out all the information before hand, ask plenty questions
That's all for now!
xo
Renz
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| Trying to wear lipstick. Found this gorgeous purple. Siren from NYX |
ps. I am going to TRY to post once a week.
pps. Christmas is coming!! MY FAVE TIME OF YEAR!!!
