what advice would you give to moving to live abroad in chicago?

[bubbles4920]

got the opportunity to live in chicago for min of 2 years.luckily we are currently renting in the uk and have lots of stuff in storage. i just keep thinking of so many things like selling my car but then not having a car when i come back to visit, what stuff do we ship over, all of it or still store stuff here ie electrical stuff etc , do i even take the kitchen bin with us as ive just emptied it and thought about this. i feel that i cant buy anything else for the house now nor clothes. any advice please?

[jno]

wrap up well. Winters are colder than you would believe possible (unless you're an Eskimo)

[campbellking]

Lived in America for a year and a half in Michigan (about 3 hour drive from Chicago). Having been to Chicago in February, can confirm it is possibly the coldest place I've been to. However, it was lovely when I went back at the end of May,.
Don't take the bin with you, I'm sure it'll be provided wherever you go. If you like your cup of tea, take your kettle, as these are almost impossible to buy in the States (take some teabags too, as Amnerican tea is dire). Other food items difficult to get hold of include salad cream and decent chocolate.
Electrical items are generally cheaper in the U.S., so you may want to weigh up the cost of shipping. If you enjoy cycling, and currently have a nice bike, you may want to ship that, as there's a load of nice places to bike in the summer. I sold my car before I went, have to say it didn't make a lot of difference as we only got 2 weeks holiday after working for one year, so only made one trip back in that time. Car insurance is generally a lot more expensive in the U.S. You may want to join the AAA out there, as this gets you free maps, and loads of tourist info if you're planning on doing a lot of touring. Get discounts and car rescue too (American garages are generally dire and take a long time to fix your car).
Above all enjoy yourselves, and don't forget to pop in a visit to the Shedd Aquarium (one of my favourite places).

[bubbles4920]

thanks so much for your most helpful replies so far. forgot to say, it will be a min of 2 years but could then be permanent, yikes!! just dont know what to do about stuff we may need if/when we come back, should we have a small storage space here still, for electrical stuff, washer dryer etc and for old docs. what if we never come back!!?? and do they sell Mars bars out there, my bloke has to have one everday, i suppose Cadburys is out then?

[Bloomstiles]

Assuming that you will need your car up until you leave, if it is not worth a huge amount why not donate it to Charity? I know Oxfam take cars.

As for storing stuff, surely the items you want to store do not hold a lot of sentimental value or you would ship them out. So clear out and save the storage cost and the worry.

[campbellking]

There is 'Cadburys' chocolate out there, but it's not the same stuff. Can't remember anything resembling a Mars bar. Our vending machine at work had only one bar of chocolate that was not laced with peanut butter or peanuts, so be warned!