Good point, Diane. It can be real difficult to open up a "foreigner" bank account back home once you're established overseas. Keeping a bank account open back home can come in handy when you least expect it. And once you're an established customer of a bank, you can open additional accounts, though those may be limited a bit if you aren't resident in the country. Still, it's lots easier than starting from scratch in a bank where you aren't "known."
Cheers,
Bev