There’s a lot to discover in your first year of living in a new country.
Everything might seem different, you might miss comfort in the familiar.
Take this opportunity to grow.
Discover yourself. Discover new places. Discover new people.
Unlock the Secrets to Success:
Year 1 of living abroad
Secret #1: Live where you are!
Resist the temptation of going back to your home city too frequently.
If you have the time and means to go back to your home country often, it would be tempting to go home every month or even every week. But doing this would hold you back.
If you go home too frequently, you won’t be fully home and you won’t be fully in your host city either.
It will fracture your sense of belonging.
In your first year of moving, you have to focus to being in the place where you live now.
Embrace the new.
Focus your ravel around the area, in the same city, same country where you now reside.
Invite your family and friends from home to visit you, and you can explore together.
You might have some opportunities to meet other foreigners living in the city.
Don’t be afraid to ask them some practical questions that you haven’t found answers to.
Chances are, they’ve asked it before you, or are asking themselves the same question too.
Expats are generally eager to exchange information as we all try to figure our new situations together!
Secret #2: Discover and Define Yourself.
Living in a new environment gives you a great opportunity to discover parts of yourself that you may not have previously reflected on.
Reflect on your roots, with truth and respect.
Acknowledge what has led you here, and think about where you want to direct your life from this point onwards.
Define who you want to be right now, outside the boundaries of where you came from.
Reflect on what values, traditions, and beliefs you want to continue, and which ones you want to transfer.
Now is the perfect opportunity to re-assess.
A new environment gives you freedom, the distance gives you perspective, and being away gives you time to ponder.
Secret #3: Go Out!
To live where you are and to gain perspective means putting yourself out there.
Connect with the new place,
Connect with the new people.
Try many things at least once.
Here’s Ideas of What to do:
- Find a Speak Easy
- Go for Jazz
- Hike
- Attend an event with Internations
- Volunteer for charity
- See an Art Exhibit
- Attend a Music Festival or Concert
- Sign-up for a Cooking Class
- Try a Tasting Experience of Wine or Coffee or Tea
- Go to a Theme Park
In doing this list, invite someone to go with you; or go by yourself and meet someone new.
You do not need to have known the person before,
You do not need to completely know the person after.
I know it’s could make you feel scared, anxious, or self-conscious in the beginning.
I also know you have the courage to overcome them.
What this does is contribute to your journey of self discovery and definition.
This is your practice in the skills of giving an introduction, starting a conversation, extending an invitation.
These are character building exercises that benefit both your professional and personal life.
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