Two Top Tips for International Moves
If you’ve ever undergone a move to a new and exotic land, you’re sure to know that there are dozens of complications which you’re likely to find popping up at one point or another, and also that there are dozens of hoops that you’ll be required to jump through in order for you to finally establish and settle yourself comfortably in the new country.There are many reasons why a large number of us choose to undertake the life-changing adventure of moving overseas at some point in our lives. Some of us move for reasons of necessity – for better prospects, or to escape some bad situation back home. Some of us move because of an adventurous spirit which drives us to properly experience new lands. Some of us make the decision quickly and some of us build up to it over the course of an entire lifetime – saving and preparing all of the details far in advance.The bottom line though is that any kind of international move, even one carried out with only a moment’s notice, is bound to be the kind of thing that requires in-depth and committed planning and organization in order to pull off properly.Before you undertake your incredible journey overseas, there are a number of things which you will have to consider before even thinking about booking your plane tickets or making an offer on a house or flat.Some of those things are:Make Contact Plans With Your Friends and FamilyIf you happen to be moving overseas with your family and / or friends, then you’re in an enviable position. For the majority of international movers (at least those of them who are grown adults), though, the decision to move away to foreign and exotic lands will tend to come at the cost of having to leave friends and relatives behind and venture forth into the great unknown alone (or with a partner).In order to stop yourself being overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and disorientation upon your arrival at your new home, it’s essential that you don’t lose ties with your loved ones. Create a plan to remain in contact with them as soon as you reach your destination. Whether your plan ends up being that you’ll Skype once a week, talk on the phone, send snail mail – it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you don’t lose your ties.Nothing will keep you as grounded, and help the move go as smoothly as possible (for your own state of mind) than remaining in touch with those who you’ve left “back home”.Start With The Familiar, Then Branch OutThe general assumption about moving to a new land seems to be that it’ll be amazingly fun to jump into the culture of the place head first.Although it’s absolutely essential that you get on board with the local culture and have (or develop) an appreciation for it, it’s also true that trying to “dive in head first” will probably just make you feel miserable and out of sorts more than anything else.What most people overlook is just how much of an impact culture shock can have on the human mind. When everything around you is suddenly different to what you were used to (even if it’s only different in subtle ways), then you will feel completely shaken out of your element and are likely to shut off from the outside world.The proper course of action is to maintain your connections to the familiar. Decorate your home in a familiar style, look for natives of your original country to interact with, and while doing this – explore the culture of your new land at a moderate pace. This way it will sink in without causing trauma.