Three tips on how to make moving abroad easier.
What scares others, relaxes me
Whaaaat? You moved here with nothing, no family, no friends, no job, no connections? You must be crazy.
Crazy, maybe, but moving abroad became second nature to me having done it so many times.
Each time there were with varying degrees of “oh shit what I am doing”, however there are a few ways to make moving abroad easier. First up though, here are my stories of moving abroad.
Forced to leave home
A bit dramatic I know, but after having kids in the house for almost four decades, my mum enthusiastically pushed me towards independence. There was a lot of relief when I applied for three universities I couldn’t commute to, and then finally the day came when they drove me to Liverpool.
Okay, okay! It’s not abroad, but you know the north south divide and all.
I had just turned 18 a month before, and at the time you think you’re so mature, but looking back I was a little baby (not like waa waa but so young and innocent).
Luckily this move had a few safety nets. I would be with plenty of people in the same boat. I had catered accommodation. I had a good friend who I had known since I was about five, a few miles down the road, as she also chose this university.
I remember rocking up trying to look relaxed and cool, the idea that you can change yourself a little and be rid of certain stories from your past. That’s a lie though, you can’t run from yourself. It wasn’t long until I had settled in thanks to the shared support from those in halls and on my course. A big shout out to Pete especially, he made everyone feel at ease in his tiny room, watching X files or singing James.
Flown to Barcelona
Another forced move, and a bit further afield this time, as I had to complete a year abroad as part of my degree. Working in a hostel whilst living in one of the most vibrant, creative and dynamic places in Spain wasn’t bad.
I had a job and accommodation before going too, and with that comes roommates and workmates, and everything else pretty much. Then it’s up to you to create all the other niceties you want. For me it always tends to be people to play football with, people to hang out with and people to talk business to, although I hadn’t unlocked this last one by Barcelona.
Bounced to Buenos Aires
Close to graduation, and I didn’t have a plan. Quite a surprise for someone who coined the phrase ‘a person with a plan, is a person who can’. But luckily my wiser friend Gen did, and so I asked to join her for the ride.
Gen was off to BsAs to finish a TESOL course, to give her a skill that could be used anywhere in the world. Sounded impressive, and so off we went. We had both been on our years abroad too, so had that experience, and Gen is also fluent in Spanish, so we felt pretty safe.
The departure was a teary one, apparently most people thought we’d never come back (or hoped). We’d booked a hostel to give us some time to then find an apartment before the course began. Yet again, with the course came friends and we were able to settle in pretty quickly.
In fact, the move ended up easier than that wretched flight.
Into India
Buenos Aires only lasted six months because I was really good at self-indulging but not so good at working. Meanwhile India was fixed at six months because that’s how long the visa was.
This was a daunting move. I was alone and I had organised to stay at a homestay right in the foothills of the Himalayas. It was 2010 too, so not at the stage of reliable mobile internet and google maps, most definitely not in India.
I was extremely excited but also nervous. It was going to be a true adventure.
I knew what I had to do to get from Delhi Airport to Old Delhi Train Station, then buy the train ticket to Haldwani, then hopefully be met by someone’s cousin to drive me the remaining six hours….
The whole six months transformed me, and I didn’t go to India to find myself either. It taught me a lot about humanity, both the good and bad. But it was the good I’ll focus on here, because whenever I was in need, there was always someone who would go above and beyond. Something I’ve noticed more and more.
After India, moving abroad was no longer scary.
Crossing to Cambodia
Back to an easy move, I had accommodation and a job waiting for me. Enough said right? Starting to see the pattern?
Crossing the line into Croatia
This was the place where I had sorted accommodation thanks to a Facebook group, but had no job, friends or family. I was warned that it wasn’t a good place to move here in October as there were no jobs.
Pish posh. I’ve moved abroad before; I know how to find work.
Within a couple of weeks, I had three job offers, and seven years on, the rest truly is history.
What you’ve been reading for
For me, there are three main ways of making that move abroad easier.
- Have some sort of accommodation booked for a period of time, to help you settle in and get to the know the place. Even if it’s just a hostel bed. Set clear expectations on how long you will stay for, and keep it shorter so you’re not tied to the place. If you’re lucky your host will show you around, introduce you to people and help you find your place.
- If your host doesn’t introduce you to people, go and find people. Hostels are a great place to start, and not the guests but the staff. Chances are they are local (or local-ish), they are used to helping people and they know plenty of ex-hostelers who stayed behind.
Remember, it can be hard to immediately connect with locals, you’re a tourist still after all, and until you show you’re there long term, you might get treated as such (I hate this personally, but that’s for another post).
Oh, and if you find it difficult to meet people in person, then join some groups, check out some hashtags and message people online. They’re normally willing to help, especially Facebook and Couchsurfing. - Say yes to everything (within reason, of course) the first month. You’ll try new things, visit new places and basically get out there. You’ll learn a lot more about the local area and culture, and you can start to get a feel for the place. I met people for coffees and beers galore, visited towns some locals rarely went to, dressed up, explored, hiked and knew this was going to be a place where I wouldn’t mind being based.
All easier said than done of course, but if you do want any more tips, or have any fears, I’m always happy to share my experience or insight.
If not, happy moving, and let me know how it goes!
