There’s nothing quite as exciting as packing up your life and buying a one-way ticket to somewhere new and unfamiliar. The prospect of starting a brand new chapter in your life in another part of the world is unlike any other. However, that said, even with the very best preparation, many expats still struggle with their integration into a new place. In a bid to help make things run as smoothly as possible, we’re discussing some of our most helpful tips for living abroad as an expat. You’ll start feeling like one of the locals in no time at all!
1. Learn the language.
If you’re uprooting your life to a country with a different native language to your own, making the effort to at least learn the basics, as well as common sayings and slang, is a no-brainer. Unless you’ve studied the language before, it will be undoubtedly tough, however, you’ll quickly find that the locals will be a lot friendlier if you show an interest in their native tongue, and it will go a very long way in helping to ease everyday interactions.
2. Give yourself time to settle in.
Remember, when you uproot your life to a brand new country, integration isn’t going to happen overnight, and that’s okay. In fact, it’s completely normal. Depending on where you go, you might experience a little bit of culture shock. If so, take the time to observe what’s going on around you and allow yourself time to settle in. You could also use this as the perfect opportunity to say yes to more things, perhaps things that you may not have necessarily been inclined to do at home – you’ll meet a ton of new people. That said, don’t lose yourself in the name of integrating. Don’t hesitate to take it slow if you really need to.
4. Live like a local.
Let’s face it, if you contain yourself to only the big cities and tourist areas, you’re going to miss out on what you new home really has to offer. Make the effort to travel, explore smaller towns, take part in their sports and activities interact with people who don’t meet foreigners very often. You’ll find that by living more like a local, you’ll learn so much more about your new home than you thought.
5. Keep in touch with your loved ones back home.
One of the most important things you can do when you move to a new country is build a supportive network around you, be that colleagues or new friends. However, you certainly shouldn’t neglect your relationships back at home. It’s a no-brainer, but always be sure to put the effort into calling your loved ones back home with Skype or FaceTime, whether it be for a catch up or just to let them know you were thinking about them.
6. Send stuff to and from home with My Baggage.
One of the trickiest aspects of living abroad is being able to send things home when you need to, or perhaps have someone from home send something to you. Perhaps one of you loved ones wants to send you a care-package full of home comforts, or perhaps you have to send something important back to your home country. You might even find the need to send something elsewhere in the world – but how exactly can you do it?
Thankfully, My Baggage offers an affordable solution. With My Baggage, you can ship luggage and parcels to and from over 200 countries worldwide, across over 1,000 routes. We offer a convenient door to door service and super fast shipping times, so you won’t have to wait weeks for your stuff to arrive safely. We offer a generous weight allowance of 30kg/66lbs per suitcase or box, so there’s plenty of space for goodies. Most importantly, our fantastic rates are super low, for example we offer services from the USA to the UK for as little as £82, from Australia for as little as £120, and from Spain for as little as £32.
You can get a quote from My Baggage any time, and our online booking system is available 24/7. If you have any questions or concerns, you can have a read through our FAQ section, or you can speak with our support team via telephone, email or live chat.
You might also like:
The Ultimate Guide To Moving Abroad As An Expat
5 Helpful Tips For Moving Abroad Seamlessly
Learn more:
