So, you’ve decided to move abroad. There are many reasons for which you would want to settle in an entirely different country, situated thousands of miles away from your current home. Or maybe you just want to move in the neighboring country. Either way, you might have some misconceptions about what that means. We are here to clarify them and make sure that you are ready for your drastic relocation. So for example if you’re a soon to be expat in Peru, you will find this guide very useful for moving to Peru.
Get to know your new neighbors and friends
You might not be as special as to be the only person from your country that has chosen to live in the country you’re eyeing. That being said, you will most likely be able to find some people from home to get close to during your accommodation period. However, you shouldn’t make your relocation all about meeting people from home. You should make friends with the locals and learn as much as you can about them and their habits. You are going to live in their country, so getting into their mind state is paramount if you want to understand the people around you.
Don’t fool yourself, you are going to need more than English
If the country you are relocating to doesn’t feature English as one of its official languages, you’d better prepare for a harsh learning curve. You will absolutely need to learn the local language if you want to stand any chance of being treated as an equal. Nothing is worse than not being understood and not understanding someone else in turn. Sure, a lot of people know English these days, but most of the people you will be interacting with on a daily basis, such as vendors, might not know it well enough. Either way, knowing the local language is your first step towards becoming one of the locals.
Don’t try too hard to blend in either
This goes a bit against what was said previously but for good reason. It’s important to be able to blend in and become accustomed to their rituals and customs, but don’t force yourself too hard to become someone that you’re not. Always remember who you are and where you come from. Learning their ways and language is great, but you shouldn’t feel the need to erase your previous life. It’s part of your character.
Don’t be too harsh on yourself
As stated previously, it’s going to be a steep learning curve. This means that it’s going to be a long and hard way before you can fluently and seamlessly communicate with people around you and take care of yourself. This also means that during the whole thing, you will probably mess up…a lot. Don’t be too hard on yourself and accept that this will happen. It will make things a lot easier when you’re not beating yourself up.
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