Hello all – it's me again. Thank you so so much for all your help in comments and DMs in my last two posts here.
You might be surprised but I've decided to live in Japan… Healing from divorce, exiting high control religion, and physical illness they both caused (I'm better now but not 100%) requires family who would be there for you with no conditions attached, and wouldn't abandon you just because you've had a meltdown.
Also I had a peek into the job market, and although none will pay me the AUD85K that I'm used to, the jobs that are available to someone like me (a Japanese native, lived in English speaking county for over 25 years, went to university multiple times and worked full time over 15 years in non-Japanese companies, IELTS 8.0, Speaking score 9.0) look sooo interesting. I want to give it a go.
Here's my problem: I am moving from Australia at the end of April. Well, that was my plan until the two Japan-operated moving companies I reached out to said they are booked until mid-May and are unable to help me due to my visa situation (I'm a permanent resident of Australia). They can't hold onto my stuff after I've left and move them because I need to sign documents for customs and the boxes need to seem like they came over the international border with me.
Apparently if I arrive into Japan with all these boxes (plan to have max 8-10, 20kg boxes) and haven't stayed in Australia for 12 months continuously leading up to my arrival date, they get sus that I might just go back to Australia anytime and customs won't handle my luggage as belonging to "someone returning to Japan permanently"
I visited family in Japan twice in the last four months, 5-6 weeks each time. So apparently that is a problem, and Nippon Express refused to take on my booking for this reason. Another company said they can take me on, but not until May.
I'm living with my STBX-husband (he is legally still my husband because in Australia, we can't divorce for 12 months +1 day since the separation date) and he works from home. I have nowhere else to go to feel safe…. not physically violent, but he has been very controlling from date number one (hindsight is a wonderful thing) and is trying to manipulate me into getting back together. I am actually repulsed by him and there is NEGATIVE 200% chance that I will give in.
But it stresses me out SO SO much that I cannot stay a day longer than I have to. You might say "why not just book the mover in May" I would do that if that was the last resort…
My question is – do I HAVE TO move using a moving company who looks after the customs paperwork for you in bulk… some have suggested to me to use things like FedEx and TNT, or Australia Post to send boxes. But I don't like the idea of 8 boxes going one by one and getting lost… I've had my fare share of things they have mishandled, and they were just an online purchases from America. I'm just a girl with no muscles so having heavy boxes picked up in one go from home would be so much less stress (and I don't want to ask Ex to help, though he is eager, I don't want him involved at all).
BUT if that is an alternative (and cheaper by a lot) I might do that so I can leave here and cut all ties to my Ex, at the end of April instead of mid-May.
Are there any other international bulk luggage moving solutions I'm missing?
I've looked into moving with just the suitcase… the airfare doubles when I add ONE 20kg suitcase to the ticket. I'd rather have the boxes arrive separately to my door as I'm travelling alone and having one big suitcase and a carry on is all I can handle to/from the airport on buses and trains.
I feel like crying… I didn't think it was going to be this hard to arrange, on top of having have to box up 5% of my life of 28 years in Australia into boxes, and throw/give away the rest, while my ex is trying to manipulate me into giving him my car now because I can't take it with me to Japan…
Look forward to your input, my internet stranger friends.
by Ok_Difficulty6671