Moving abroad can be a huge step, especially if you don’t know your new home city or town very well – you can feel overwhelmed pretty quickly in new surroundings, so I think it’s so important to allow yourself time to settle in and adjust to your new way of life. You have just moved countries after all!
Even if you are familiar with your new home then these tips can help too – the more you immerse yourself in all of the fabulous things that your chosen destination has to offer, the better! When I moved to London all those years ago I knew no-one and had only ever visited once, so I quickly learned what it is that can help you to settle in as soon as possible.
Here are my tips for helping you to settle in after moving abroad.
Book Some Temporary Accommodation For When You First Arrive
I think one of the easiest ways to cut down on the stress of moving abroad is to make sure you have somewhere booked to stay when you first arrive. The last thing you want to have to worry about is finding accommodation when you touch down, and equally, I don’t think it’s wise to commit to long-term accommodation before you leave unless you absolutely know and love the area in which you are looking to rent in.
Having a cheap hotel booked for a week in the central part of town will mean you can relax, get your bearings and give yourself enough time to find out where you would like to live long-term.
Be A Tourist
If you can afford to take a couple of weeks off work to find your feet when you first arrive then you should make the most of it and get out there and see as much as you can. I think this time is really important in the process of settling in and can help you to feel at home quite quickly in your new environment.
Jump on an open top bus tour, walk the streets, visit museums and eat some local cuisine – you’ll be feeling like a local in no time!
Meet The Locals
Even if you know no-one in your newly adopted home, try to get out and speak to people every day – make conversations with people wherever you go – I know it feels weird, but trust me, if you do this every day for a month you’ll have a new group of friends by the end of it!
If you do happen to have some friends with you already then even better – you can reach out to other others as a team and make friends that way.
If this seems daunting you may like to sign up to a website like meetups or other networking events to help ease you into it.
Reach Out To Other Expats
In this technology day and age there are loads of networking events organised each week and many aimed at expats – I have met friends this way and it’s a great way to break the ice and get to know others as you have something in common – you’ve both just moved abroad! Make the most of this fact and reach out to expand your network – soon your social circle will be huge!
Nest
Once you’re moved into your permanent accommodation you need to personalise it and make it feel like ‘you’ – so head down to Ikea or a cheap home store to grab some things which you like to help you settle in. Splashes of colour make me feel good, and I find sticking up photos of friends and good memories always makes me feel at home.
Give It Time
Like everything in life, you need to give it time to settle into your new home town. There will always be ups and downs – from homesickness to feeling like you never want to leave – it’s all part of the journey so just enjoy it! One day you’ll wake up and realise how far you’ve come and how much you love your new home, friends and life – it’s a fabulous feeling, so make the most of it!
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I think you’re absolutely right about reaching out to other expats. I found that really helped me adjust. It was also good to know that what I was experiencing was perfectly normal and that other people were having a hard time adjusting 🙂 It’s true that it just takes time.
Hi Rhea, got it in one! I hope youre enjoying the expat experience anyway – thanks for stopping by! : )