Moving Abroad: How to Settle in a New Country

by Mandy

Guest blog post by Natalie Miller

If you have decided to make a move overseas or to a country where the local culture is radically different from your own, then you will need to adapt quite a bit before you can settle in safely and calmly. When you need to deal with moving house to your new home, as well as the relocation itself, you should consider finding help such as a moving company experienced in this type of work. There will be a few questions you will need to cover in your time spent readjusting to a new reality, but we can help you with that with the following tips and guidelines.

Learn about your new culture

  • One of the first things you will need to do is to help familiarize yourself with the culture you will eventually end up spending time in. Read as much as you can about the country, and then do some research of your own, checking educational opportunities and websites as well as films, talking to friends and family that may have been in your chosen country. Contact the embassy of the chosen country and see whether they have any materials that may help you. Being proactive will make things far easier for you.

Learn the language

  • The next thing you should really go for is learning the language of the target country, as this will really help you adjust to the area. Although basic words and sentences could be learned fairly quickly, the thing is you will need to improve your knowledge fast if you want to stand a chance in fitting in and finding out more about the country you will live in, since communicating in the native language will be very useful for your business and everyday interactions. Communication is key when you need to understand and find a way toward cooperation after moving.

Know local gestures

  • You need to be careful about social customs and gestures that you may not be aware of. There is a lot of information usually given off with non-verbal communication such as gestures. When it comes to foreign environments you will need to know the local gestures so there will be no misunderstandings. Educate yourself and learn whatever you can about local customs to avoid offending people. Naturally this will only extend to cultures radically different, unlike it would be to handle relocation and moving house to say London, Paris or Rome for example.

Embrace the culture shock

  • The other thing worth keeping in mind is the culture shock you will almost invariably experience when you arrive in your new home. There will be disorientation and anxiety you will need to deal with as you adapt. You should also consider that you will be changed by the experience of living in a new place, from your diet to your other habits as this becomes a change in the way you live. Join a club, experience as many things as you can before you move on with the rest of the adaptation and more as time goes by.

Don’t worry about it

  • There will be a few cultural differences between what you may be used to and what you will see out there. You should do what you can to avoid worrying about politics, language and customs as well as gestures. All will come in time and you will learn more than one way to improve your chances to adapt. The worst thing you can do of course would be to fall trap to predispositions you may have about how you will do there.

If you enjoyed this post, here are some more that you'll like:

But first, have you found your mid to long-term housing yet? Spotahome is here to help you out!

Guest blog post by Natalie Miller