Top Tips for Moving Abroad: Speaking From Experience!
Moving abroad can be compared to a fairground ride. The question is … will it be a fun ride that you enjoy or one that has you shrieking in frustration and fear?
It goes without saying that thorough research and careful planning are fundamental for a successful relocation. Whether moving to a new country on your own, as a couple or with your family, you can always benefit from advice and feedback from others.
Moving abroad can be compared to a fairground ride. Will you laugh or will you cry? #mkbkids #relocation Click To Tweet
Who better to ask for help than people who have experienced the ups and downs of the relocation rollercoaster themselves. In this post, some of the lovely members of our Multicultural Kids Blog Facebook Group share their own advice and experience and also top tips to prepare you for successfully moving abroad, as part of this month’s MKB Kids Blogging Carnival.
This is what I asked my fellow members:
“Moving to another village or town can be a daunting prospect for some people. So, what happens when you move to another country? And imagine moving to a country whose language is different from your own. Many of us in this group have experienced this transition. I’d love you to share your biggest fears about such a move. What tips would you like to share with others facing a move? What, if anything, would you do differently, if in the position again? All matters can be child or parent related or both.”
So, what are their Top Tips For Moving Abroad?
I have listed each contributor`s Top Tip and you can read each of their great articles by clicking the titles. Also, if you are on Twitter, you can follow each contributor by clicking on their name.
Jackie from Bringing Up the Parks 
Top Tip: There are a lot of worries when we move to a new country, not just for ourselves but also for the kids. But try to learn more about your host country–the good, the bad, and most importantly the funny!–and soon enough the nerves will calm down and hopefully, you won’t feel too much like a stranger anymore and even learn to call this new place Home. 🙂
Jackie shares with us “Rediscovery Beijing: 25 Things I Learned About Beijing 2016” and reminds us how “experience is the best teacher”.
Did you know that in Bejiing:
- You cannot buy knives in supermarkets
- Less people are riding bikes than before
- You need to know about WeChat
- It may be an idea to shop online rather that attempt local supermarkets
- It has become more English-friendly
These topics and lots more are covered in Jackie’s personal insights into life in Bejiing.
Anjelica from Anjelica Malone
Top Tip: Exploring your new home (country) with a local will always lead to a more rich experience than roaming alone or with a fellow expat.
Anjelica shares “5 Tips on How to Make Friends With Locals & Learn to Love Your New Country” She shares with us how Puerto Ricans value chatting with friends, lingering over food, and island time; which means that everything happens way slower (I kind of love this way of life 😉 )
Her list of 5 tips will help you ease into your new host country.
I totally agree with Anjelica’s final piece of advice, “ Don’t compare your old home with your new one. There will be many differences between the two, that when given the opportunity, will make you a more well-rounded and cultured person. You will most likely learn early on that others do many of the same things you do but with a slight twist. Let go of any feelings of superiority that you may have. You are most likely not in the majority and not in a position to change a whole nation.”
Amanda – Life With a Double Buggy
Top Tip: Learn the local language.
Amanda let us know “5 Ways You Can Make Expat Life Easier for Yourself”“. Having been living in the Netherlands for over 15 years now, Amanda admits to being restless and getting itchy feet. Her next relocation would be different as children are now involved. However, she has lots of ideas that she shares, that will make moving with children easier.
Esther from Third Culture Mama
Top Tip: Find ways to recreate a semblance of normalcy and familiarity to take the pressure off all the newness. Also, be prepared for the culture shock and allow space to hear each other out as stress levels get the best of you.
Esther shares her personal experiences in “Keeping the Family afloat”. Having literally just moved continents, they have not yet even got to enjoy the honeymoon period. As she says “I’ll be honest, stress levels in our farmhouse are still pretty high. Being the resident French speaker, the entire administrative piece is on my shoulders. “ … I feel your pain Ester, have a read of my rant posts about Spanish “Burrro-cracia”. It may give you some ideas!
You’ll soon look back on this post and wonder what all the fuss was about 😉
Amanda from Marocmama
Top Tip: If I had to do anything differently it would have been twofold. First, I would have just bought everything new when we moved to Morocco instead of trying to bring so much with us. Second, I would have relaxed a lot more. With so many unknowns I put way too much pressure on myself and my husband to figure everything out the “American” way. That didn’t work at all. I had to learn to go with the flow.
Ensure you fasten those seatbelts and get ready for the ride as you read Amanda’s “How Moving to Morocco is Like a Carnival “Fun” House”. You can literally feel the ups and downs experienced on many fairground rides as she shares her experiences and frustrations of the tasks that are so simple in your own country but so much more complicated abroad. As Amanda says “you never know what’s going to pop up in front of you, and it will. Be prepared for all scenarios. I felt like I should have run a risk analysis on everything ahead of time.”
Jo Jackson from Jo Jacks Travel
Top Tip : Connect with others. This is no reason to feel isolated, but you have to make an effort to find friends and activities.
Jo shares with us some essential “Advice for Expats with Children in Saudi Arabia”. She advises you to “Be open-minded to different styles” and not to listen to the ever present gossiping oh the expat grapevine. She believes that having children in Saudi makes integration a lot easier. Like in Spain, where we live, family comes first and children are to be heard rather than just seen 😉
I must confess that I hadn’t thought of Saudi as a child-friendly destination, however having read Jo’s post I think we might well have to pay a visit.
Lisa Ferland from Knocked Up Abroad
Top Tip: Batten down the hatches and ride out the storm.
Lisa makes some very valid points in her “Top 3 Reminders When Relocating With A Family”
Despite what many books will try to make you believe, living abroad does not always mean living the dream, although it can be amazing! Be prepared to take the rough with the smooth, be prepared and take it one day at a time. And, of course, The addition of children to the relocation equation makes it a whole different ball game
Ute from Expats Since Birth
Top Tip: Be curious and open-minded.”Ask all the questions you have” helps a lot to make things easier for you and the locals because you will let others know what feels strange, new to you and you don’t misinterpret situations.
In “Frequently moving TCKs and expat children” Ute covers aspects to consider when moving with kids / TCKs. As she correctly points out “people need to be aware of the long-term side effects such a life can have on themselves and their children, in order to make the best out of this kind of life.” She explains the phases of such a move and points out the issues that may arise, àrticularly with children. If you are moving abroad with children, ensure you read this very informative article and the many others on Ute’s website.
The team at “The Art of Home Education”
Top Tip: “There is always a reason NOT to do it.” You can always wait for the right circumstances. But what if those circumstances never happen, then you’ll end up waiting forever.
In this article, we discover “That dream about living abroad – 10 things you want to know”
There are some really heart-warming and thoughtful tips and ideas in this article. I particularly loved Nº8, the idea of opening up your house to new people in your neighborhood with view to creating a closer feeling of community. And the fairground ride makes another appearance …
Souad from Babelkid
Top Tip: Expect to leave a piece of your heart in your previous location. But relish the new adventure, these are exciting times! Give it a good two years before things start to be familiar and you start feeling settled.
In their article, “Switzerland Here We Are” Babelkid share their experience about just arriving at their latest destination.
And finally some input from Me 😉
Lisa (aka mum) from Family Life In Spain
Top Tip: Don’t move abroad in a dreamy bubble. Do your research and then do some more. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare yourselves for a thrilling ride. No matter the outcome, make it an experience to remember … in a positive way!
Our popular post “6 Top Tips for Moving to Spain with Children” can be applied to many other countries.
Don’t forget to have a look at our Relocation category for lots more articles about moving to Spain and abroad.
I’d like to personally thank all the members of MKB Kids for taking the time to share their stories and experiences with us today. If you are thinking about moving abroad, do not hesitate to contact any of these lovely people who will only be too happy to help you in whatever way they can.
And remember, if you’ve been thinking about making the move and have done your research … there’s no time like the present!
