It goes without saying that while helping people forward their belongings and excess baggage, we’ve picked up a lot of stories, as well as a few tips and tricks along the way when it concerns living abroad.
With that in mind, here is Tudor International Freight’s top tips for living in another country:
Prepare wisely and have a safety net
No matter which country you’re moving to, ensure that you give enough time to plan every last detail.
From sending your belongings via one of our air or sea freight services, to making sure that you have the right paperwork and documents ahead of your move, rigorous planning is always recommended so that you can overcome any eventuality.
When it comes to money, ensure that you have not only enough to fulfil your visa requirements, but also so that you have a fall-back option in case anything goes wrong.
You can work out how much the average cost of living might be, using sites such as Nomad List, which gives you financial filters and data depending on where and how you want to live.
Bear in mind however, that it provides prices in dollars, so a quick conversion is always needed if you’re based in the UK.
Give it time
There’s no doubt that when you move abroad, there’s a honeymoon period where everything seems perfect and exciting, but after a few weeks or months this feeling can start to fade.
Depending on the country, or even the area that you’re moving to, there can be unforeseen headaches, such as making a doctor’s appointment, or renewing a prescription, which can take a little while to figure out.
There’s also the cultural difference that you’ll experience on a day to day basis, which will take time to overcome.
Most expats report giving it at least six months before they fully acclimatise with their surroundings and begin really settling in to their new way of life.
Do as the locals do
While discussing settling into your environment, it goes without saying that one of the best ways to do this is to simply “live like one of the locals”.
Whereas tourists generally don’t get much time to really engrain themselves in the areas that they visit, a person living in a new city or town can really start to explore and enjoy the local way of doing things after a couple of weeks or so.
Instead of heading to chain restaurants and bars, take the time out to try the independent way of life and shop and dine locally when you can.
If there are any local clubs, sports events, or gatherings, try attending some to introduce yourself to other people and get to know the folks who live in your area.
Keep in touch with people back home
Whether you’re having the best time of your life, or finding living abroad a little harder than you imagined, remember to stay in touch with people back home so that you can stay updated on what’s happening, as well as being able to provide your loved ones with an insight on your life.
There are a great many free apps and technologies that you can use for this including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Skype.
If you fancy it, you could even surprise people with good old-fashioned letters and postcards as extra treats.