Finding help, advice and friendship in a new country is not always simple. But an expat community offers connections and guidance for living in more than 400 places around the world.
Moving from one country to another for any length of time is an exciting — and daunting — prospect. Every country has its own particular way of doing things and, sometimes, it’s not entirely clear what newly arrived people should do. Or when. Or how.
The good news is that there is plenty of excellent advice out there to help you deal with the day-to-day business of your new life in a different country.
But all the handy guidance on banking, taxes, access to healthcare, visas, buying and renting property, money, driving, and dealing with bureaucracy, is only part of the story of life in a new country.
In the difficult moments of adjusting to life abroad, having a network of contacts can be a huge relief. Joining a global expat community is one of the fastest ways to cultivate those essential contacts, so you don’t feel you have to navigate everything alone. InterNations, the world’s largest expat community, makes it easy to connect with people just like you.
New friendships make a new country feel more familiar.Its overarching premise is to help people living overseas meet up and share their experiences of life in their new home country. It offers a range of online and in-person events as well as a wealth of online resources, such as guide articles and forums where international residents can share advice and experience on anything from legal matters to cultural opportunities.
And InterNations is there for more than just getting answers. Study after study of people who have moved abroad has highlighted that they face a common problem after the initial excitement and wonder of their move has worn off: loneliness.
Social and emotional isolation can be an issue for everyone, particularly — but not exclusively — among older emigres, according to more than a few reports. Getting to grips with life that’s an ocean removed from the wider family network can be challenging.
There are several ways to reduce this sense of crippling isolation. Staying in touch with family and friends from home through calls, video chats, or letters can help keep the emotional connection alive. But even the wonders of modern communications technology can’t put you in the same room as your loved ones.
The standard advice is then to take time to learn the local language, explore the culture and participate in community activities to help you feel more connected.
This is all undoubtedly true — greeting your neighbors and ordering a coffee in the local cafe is a great way to break the ice, even with limited language skills — but becoming fluent, or at least within a past participle of fluent, is far from straightforward. Even if you’ve had lessons before you make the move, what you learn and what you hear may appear very different, especially early on.
Shared experiences can ease the transition to life abroad.But even when it’s difficult, making an effort to build new connections is important. No one is pretending that recreating the deep social ties you enjoyed in your home country will be straightforward, but forming friendships and forging a sense of belonging in your new country can reduce waves of social loneliness.
International puts the warm welcome of nearby community groups and their in-person events a point and a click away. It can put you in touch with friendly faces living close by who know exactly what it’s like to be far from home.
It can be the basis of a second family of new friends in your new country. So why not give it a try?
