One of the biggest challenges of an overseas move is also the most earthly: packing for it. Most people cannot pack their whole lives into a couple of suitcases, so they will need to plan and pack carefully for an overseas move of months or even years. The first step when packing for an overseas move is to find an international moving company. You can find companies either from recommendations or by searching for international movers on the Internet on Web sites like abrarelocations.com. Compare the companies' policies, insurance coverage, and guarantees, and be sure to check references. While pricing is important, keep in mind that the cheapest moving company is not necessarily the best. Make sure that you leave ample time to find your moving company – most international movers need several weeks to make arrangements. Once you have a mover, you need to get on with the actual packing. You probably will not be able to take all of your possessions on an international move, so your first decision will be what to bring and what to leave behind. Use your move as an opportunity to get rid of all that old junk that just takes up space; anything that you must keep but cannot pack should go into storage. Remember: the more stuff you have, the more you will pay to move it or store it. Deciding what to bring is crucial. Bulky and impersonal items like furniture can be replaced in your new home and then re-sold upon departure. Also leave behind most appliances and electronics that will not work with the different voltage levels outside of North America; locally-purchased appliances are a better choice. Moving is expensive; moving overseas is very expensive, so the less you bring the more money you will save. You should pack enough toiletries and medicines to last you for a few months. You don't want to be without the essentials, and it can take a while to find replacements overseas or to receive orders shipped from home. Personal electronics like laptop computers, cell phones, and music players are often more expensive overseas and should also be packed -- do some research before moving to see how much they will cost, and take in to account currency differences.