2020 was a challenging year for many of us. I was particularly unlucky and had an international move planned for 2020. I am a German national and was trying to move from Japan to the US to start a postdoc position in New York City. I had to overcome many challenges to make the move happen. Here is my long and emotional story of how I managed to move from Japan to the US in 2020. I am aware that this is a very long video, but wanted to tell you the full story. I am not even sure whether anyone is interested in this story, but if it helps even one person in a similar situation to understand that they are not alone, this is worth uploading.

Timestamps:
0:00:00 Projected Timeline for My Move
0:03:42 Receiving Visa Paperwork from NYU
0:05:40 Preparing for the Visa Interview
0:06:57 The Visa Interview at the US Consulate in Naha
0:11:04 Getting the Visa and Being Good to Go (in Theory)
0:11:23 Japanese Border Closures and How It Felt After Living in Japan for 6 Years
0:13:28 Delaying The Start Date of My New Position for the First Time
0:16:43 Fear of Losing the Roof Over My Head
0:19:02 Discontinued Moving Plans and Postal Service
0:20:27 Selling Stuff without Knowing When I Will Move
0:22:07 How My Non-Extendable Contract Got Extended (Thank You OIST)
0:28:14 Institute Closure and New Projected Timeline for My Move
0:29:55 Closed Social Security Offices as a New Challenge
0:36:32 Extending My Contract with OIST a Second Time
0:38:39 No, Waiting Until Social Security Offices Reopen Is Not an Option
0:42:27 Exhausting Every Possible Avenue
0:49:04 Looking for Other Jobs in Europe and Losing Hope
0:50:24 Latest Date for a Solution for Me to Move in September
0:51:56 A Solution and Receiving the Good News (Very Emotional)
0:54:14 Short Remark on Having Lived in an Empty Flat for Way Too Long
0:55:22 Uprooting My Life an Organizing an International Move in 2 Weeks
0:59:49 Flying to the US in Late 2020
1:05:49 Quarantining for 14 Days
1:06:16 Misinformation on How to Get Building Access
1:09:16 Getting a US bank account without a SSN (or a Permanent Address)
1:09:54 Getting an Appointment with the Social Security Office - Round 1
1:10:51 Renting a NYC Apartment without a Credit Score
1:13:02 Getting an Appointment with the DMV (to Get a US ID)
1:14:14 Sorting Out Healthcare (and Some Cancelled Orders)
1:16:37 Getting an Appointment with the Social Security Office - Round 2
1:19:40 Getting a SSN, getting a US ID and finally Settling In