When you decide to live in a new country – be it a couple of years or a permanent move – your life changes. You meet people from around the world and adapt to a whole new way of living. It makes your life feel like an adventure, one full of risk and rewards.
Home Sweet Home
The word ‘home’ takes on a whole new meaning for you. Yes, there’s the country you’re originally from and all your loved ones there, but there’s this whole other place you get to call your own. It is a wonderful feeling, but also you can feel homesick for different places all at once. You’ll want to spend time in both. You can get a second passport with the help of Withers. That way you always have a way of finding your way back to either home.
Staying Connected
When you live abroad, the way you maintain your relationships will change. There are some people who you’ll be signing up for permanent long-distance friendships. It can be pretty tough. Though technology and social media make it that little bit easier. Whether you send your loved ones voice messages, organise weekly calls, or simply just typing away messages to them on a platform of your choice – there are lots of ways you can touch base.
Local Habits
You would be surprised at how quickly you start picking up the local lingo. Initially hearing people say certain words will sound strange, and then a couple of months later you catch yourself saying it. You learn to go with the flow. Rather than try and recreate the life you had at home, you do as the locals do. It may take more time than you think for you to get well and truly settled, but when you do you’ll feel so proud of yourself.
Independence
Not only do you learn more about a new country and meet new people, but when you move abroad you also learn so much about yourself. You find out what you’re capable of, and just how far you can step outside of your comfort zone. You have to put yourself out there and you’re in charge of creating your own experiences. The success of the move is down to you.
Living abroad is an incredible experience. It certainly comes with its challenges, but all the good experiences make it so worthwhile. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
