Living in a foreign country can be hard especially with all the administrative, cultural and in some cases, language challenges you would have to deal with. There are a few tips that you can use to succeed when faced with this challenge.
While it can sound romantic and exciting to live in a foreign country, away from where you are very familiar with, it does have a catch. It is a general rule that when expats tread on unfamiliar grounds, they try to stick with what is familiar with them. This makes it a bit more difficult to make the necessary transition from someone who is still tryng to find his feet to some well known local with friends in every nook and cranny. It can be tempting to try and mix with other foreigners while living abroad but this comes with its own problems and can make you to always find comfort among other foreigners and almost impossible to integrate with the locals.
Proper Mindset and Preparation
At first, while leaving in a foreign country, many aspects of the local traditions will look strange. This may at times appear exciting though. After all, your initial reason for traveling abroad may have been to explore foreign culture. But after living in the country for sometime, things which you might have considered charming may begin to annoy you. You will begin to remember how things run smoothly in your city or how every one looked more relaxed and friendly so it is really necessary that you take time to prepare your mind to see things positively as you try to settle.
Make the necessary little changes
Avoid perceiving everything that appears different to be wrong or negative. By withholding judgment, you will be able to be an objective observer and this will enable you understand and appreciate cross-cultural differences. It is also necessary that if you are going to a country that you have little information about, take some time to do background check, also note various attributes you can expect from visiting or living in different regions of the country. Keep your mind open as you do the check. Let go of stereotypes and false impressions and you will have taken the first step
Mix Up
In order to get the most out of your experience as an expat in a foreign country, you will need to break out of your little cocoon and try to immerse yourself in the local culture. Take time to learn the local language in order to improve your communication skills; this also makes you more acceptable. Familiarize yourself with the social conduct of the local environment and try to blend in. Try to know people in your new environment. Read newspapers, respectfully ask questions and attend a variety of events and festivals.
Try to be respectful, humble and patient. Seek a sense of stability in your life in order to get a feeling of safety. Living in the foreign country will then become a life-changing experience.
Adjusting to life abroad isn’t as easy as it may seem. It takes time to adjust from living like an expat to a more local life-style. You shouldn’t get surprised if you experience a culture shock while living abroad. The important thing is not to allow it to get the better of you.
Naomi Paulson is an expat living in Nigeria. Before settling in Nigeria, she was privileged to have traveled and liven in more than 7 other countries. She loves to share her experiences on Buzz Nigeria and recommends that you connect with here on the website.
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