Ten do's and don'ts for prospective expats

Five years ago this month, my new bride and I stepped off a China Eastern flight at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai and into our new lives.

We were exhausted from wrapping up our lives back in the US state of Florida, and at first felt like we had been dropped into a different dimension. It's interesting to see other "newbies" go through some of the things we did.

I can say without hesitation that moving to China has turned out to have been a very good decision. We have changed and grown as people and experienced some wonderful things. But life abroad is not for everybody, whether you're a Floridian living in Beijing or a Beijinger living in Florida. For those considering such a move, I can offer a few words of advice: