Moving abroad...Not an easy deal for everybody

It is always nice talking with others about their ideas of moving abroad. And most of all, it is nice to hear differences when you are talking to people about emigration. The wide variety of reactions is in the end not so wide, if you look at it closer. Big changes are scary for people, and that is why so often they will not feel familiar to it. Because it is 'strange' to them.

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• 'Ow wauw. I have always wanted something like that, but it is so much more difficult in my situation than in yours.'

• 'Arent you afraid you are going to lose everything you have now?'

• 'When are you going to stop fooling around?'

• 'Dont you like your country?'

• 'When are you going to come home'

• 'I love the idea of what you are doing, but it is just not for me

Luckily all my loved ones always tell me: I just want you to be happy, wherever that may be.

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And in these days there are so many ways of communicating with each other that it all feels as if we are very close to each other. Although in the end nothing beats the real life meetups.

One of the things that also makes a differences for all my moving trips, is that I feel like I am quite good prepared. And this I mean not in a way of I have all my stuff arranged, but more the mental aspect of it. I know what I am stepping into, and most of the times I already know people who live there, so I know what to expect.

tv-blik



On Dutch televison there is always this program called 'Ik vertrek' (translated 'I am leaving'). Although I have actually never watched it to be honest, this program is often hot topic for people who went to live abroad to see how others are doing this.

The series follows people who are making a move in living abroad, following their journey towards their exit, and checking in months later to see how the are doing. As you understand, the people in these series are often making all rookie mistakes ;)

Expectations and realistic goals

One of the things that often goes wrong is that people have the wrong and irrealistic impression of where they are stepping into. Also often they have no idea of why a culture is the way it is, and they are not willing to adapt to it.

Yes, those things will make you life super difficult.

If you are building a hotel in the middle of nowhere, you will have to make some friends in the region. Because at some point you permits might get rejected, of you will need local suppliers for your stuff. You can not get that done if you only talk in your 'old' language and act like a dick.

If you plan of building a miniature golfcourse, but the place you want to do this turns our to be a protected nature reserve, life might get difficult. Especially with resources running out.

If you plan of opening a spare rib restaurant in a country where the pig is considered a filthy animal, you might not get the business you would expect ;)

Again, preparation is key, and the ability to adapt.

That is why for me it is never a bad idea to start out working for a boss in a new country. You learn the culture at your job, and it will give you some time and salary to make a realistic plan on what you want to do. You have to be somewhere for a while to prevent yourself from making rookie mistakes, so why rush yourself into it?

Because lets be honest, being somewhere for a week or two makes every country seem idyllic. Reality might just be a bit disappointing. Think in the bigger picure!

Prepare on it!

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