Regardless of where you move, international moving changes your life completely. Even if you move from one English-speaking country to another, there are still things that will be different, and you’ll go through an adjustment period. You’ll gain valuable knowledge about life in another country, and you may even discover some valuable insights about yourself, too. Read on for the top five lessons people learn when they move abroad.
Be Flexible
Things don’t always go as planned when you move to another country. The bureaucracy is different, the culture is different, and expectations are different.
Don’t go into this situation thinking everything will go exactly as you want it to – it won’t. Have a backup plan (or more than one) when things don’t work out. A sense of humor helps, too.
Be Patient
This lesson is inextricably linked to the first one. Remember that not everything in your new country will work at the same speed as the old one. It could take weeks or months for documents to be processed at government offices. That beautiful apartment you checked out online might not be ready when you need it.
Getting frustrated won’t help the situation. Taking a deep breath and remembering that some things take time, on the other hand, will.
Be Organized
Now is not the time to be a procrastinator. You have a great deal of work to do, and you need to complete it within a certain time frame.
Set a schedule for yourself. Figure out what you need to do, and when you need to do it. Then, make sure those tasks are finished with by their due dates.
Furthermore, being organized means that you decide in advance what you’re taking with you and what you’re leaving behind. Don’t decide on moving day that you’re not taking your Aunt Lucy’s dining room set with you.
Knowledge Is Power
Learn as much as you can about the country to which you’ll be moving and what life is like there. While you’re at it, find out about what the international moving process is like, too.
It’s normal to have expectations – everyone does it, and it’s impossible to prevent yourself from dreaming things will turn out a certain way. But, going into a situation unprepared almost guarantees that you won’t achieve your dreams.
By Adi Shaked
