We cannot go along hauling 5 heavy suitcases. We will get a storage unit to store our warm clothes until Winter. Sounded so simple. Tasks like this take days, not hours in unfamiliar countries. Expect things to be different; you will not know exactly what will be different, just know things will be. You will find a question you do not know to ask, not just a language barrier, but a cultural one. We needed to find the name of what they call a storage facility in The Netherlands, search for one, learn the geography, calculate the public transportation route, figure out how to make a phone call from our US phone, overcome the language barrier. And follow their instructions.
Bank Account, IBAN Number, Address
We were informed we need a bank account (to auto pay the monthly rent). We need an IBAN / SWIFT number, we need a permanent address (in The Netherlands) and we need to bring our own lock (specifications described). We spent much of a day looking for what we would call a hardware store to buy the lock; venturing into questionable neighborhoods, with the added benefit of some ethnic food for lunch, but no luck for an acceptable lock.
We are just about to learn one of our first lessons about being nomadic. You cannot do much business in foreign countries without an address and a local bank account. You cannot get a bank account easily if you want one, unless you have an address. And catch-22, you cannot get a lease without a bank account. Europeans use a banking number like we use our social security number. Called an IBAN number. Is this the number or a few of the numbers) on our checkbook? No. We check with our US bank to get our IBAN number. US banks do not have IBAN numbers. Finally, we consulted other blogs to see if we could find a solution to the IBAN number. And we did.
The Solution
We opened an account with an online wire transfer company. We chose Transferwise. Through this app, we can transfer money into our account and convert it to another currency. And wire money in the local currency. We now have an IBAN number for use in any country. We have more information about this topic in our Tips and Lessons Category.
This number worked for the requirement for our storage unit, and we used the Marriott for the address. In lieu of the autopay, we paid in advance, and several hundred euros for a security deposit (odd, since we are leaving our security in the unit, not the other way around), and we purchased an overpriced lock from the storage company. Now we have a place to store our winter clothes. Having belongings stored in a physical location has a strange settling feeling. We feel the tiniest bit grounded.
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