Living abroad is one of the most enriching, most challenging, and most exciting adventures one can have. It’s an experience that not only helps you assess your capabilities but it also gives you the opportunity to experience new cultures, habits, and language. However, living overseas is not all roses. Settling into an unfamiliar environment away from people you love, having to make new friends, and starting everything over – Your life could easily get out of your hands if certain elements of it lose balance. So how are you going to make your life work? Here are my tips on how to create a happy life abroad.
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To me, expat life is invigorating. I believe I have had an easier time adapting to life abroad than many of my expat friends. I’ve seen many struggles with adjusting to their new environment. Living abroad was also something I always wanted to experience, not because I was unhappy in my home country, but because I have an adventurous spirit. However, even for someone like me, things might feel overwhelming sometimes.
In this post, I want to address the 8 Essential Expat Life Skills you need to master if you want to be happy abroad. This conclusion is based on my own personal experience and observing other expats.
1. Choose your Friends Wisely
Making friends abroad can be tricky. You arrive in a new country, you feel alone, and you want to meet people to hang out with. But like relationships, you need to choose you friends wisely, and distinguish between healthy and unhealthy individuals.
You might meet people that appreciate you but for some reason, you don’t feel comfortable around them. Since you feel the need to have a social life, you force yourself to spend time with them. If you experience this kind of situation, remember that having friends that understand you, make you feel great, and are able to offer you good advice in times of need is what you need to feel happy and connected. So, do not waste your time and energy abroad by settling for bad and destructive friendships. And remember a good friendship anywhere is all about support, communication, and respect.
2. Get to Know Yourself & Pursue Meaning
When you take time to know yourself, making decisions about how to live your life abroad get easier. Having an understanding of your motivations, values, and passions will give you a sense of worth and help you live a happier life.
If you move for a relationship, or because your partner found a job overseas but this situation can affect your career, then take the time to understand your priorities and ask yourself these questions – Do I really want to find a job in a different industry? Should I start my own business? Should I peruse a hobby instead? or Do I want to be an incredible stay at home mama? Life can be much happier and cheerful when you pursue meaningful activities.
Here’s an example from my experience: When I moved overseas for the first time I was over the moon – I just married my soulmate and I was happy to start this new chapter of my life abroad. But even though I was excited about this new experience, I was not sure about how I was going to cope with this big change – My husband had already a job and a network while I had nothing. Since it was not possible to find a job in my field, I was open to a career change. It was only later that I realized that I did not take the time to ask myself whether I wanted to work in another industry. I was putting pressure on myself to conform. I just needed to find a job to be able to live like everyone else. I got an office job but it turned out that working in an office was not for me. That job was destroying my soul, so I decided to quit and create a blog (because that’s the thing I’ve always wanted to do) Blogging helped me to be my authentic self and craft a life that I love.
3. Make International Friends
Maintaining expat friendships with people from your home country can be an advantage, but getting to know the local people will help you to integrate into the society you live in. Also, establishing friendships with other expats who come from all over the world is a great way to get to know other cultures and ways of life. Another advantage of experiencing new cultures is that you learn to view your own as if from a foreign perspective.
4. Make Your Home Your Own Private Retreat
The place you live in when you move abroad becomes your home away from home. Now more than ever, you need your home to be a place where you can find peace, harmony, and health.
You don’t need a home packed with expensive furniture, you simply need a refuge that represents you, a place that makes you feel happier when you walk through the door.
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5. Be Emotionally Self-sufficient
When living abroad, you may sometimes feel isolated and lonely. Try your very best to learn to be emotionally-self-sufficient. Remind yourself that happiness is not out there but within you. Build a good relationship with yourself, be your own best friend, and keep in mind that emotional self-sufficiency is the foundation of good mental health and a key ingredient for a happy life abroad.
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7. Nourish Your Relationship
When you move abroad with your partner, your relationship becomes your main source of happiness. Your companion is your family, best friend, comfort, and support, so it’s important to nourish your relationship. And remember, the key to a strong relationship is to have one with yourself first, which goes back to my second point: get to know yourself and peruse meaning.
8. Be Open-minded
One of the important ways to create a happier life abroad is to accept that what might be considered rude or strange in your home country is simply common practice in the country you moved to. You might get annoyed by people. The waiter that ignored you, the driver that did not give way at pedestrian crossing… You might also get tired of the weather, that’s entirely normal, it takes time to adjust but you must be open to accepting differences if you want to have a happier and more positive life.
If there’s anything I’ve learned through the experience of moving abroad, is that it gets easier. That when you get serious and open yourself up to the experience, you’ll create a life you love. These were all my tips on how to live a happy life abroad. Thank you for stopping by!
Amit Chavan says
This is really cool. I loved it, thanks
admin says
Thank you! I appreciate it 🙂