We’re all guilty of making that holiday sin, you get home from your fantastic break and start daydreaming about how you’re going to quit your job, uplift your family and move abroad. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!
Moving to a new country and starting over can be the perfect choice for your family, with lots of new opportunities.
There is one problem, though, many of us plan the move before we spend enough time in that country. What if you make the move and find you hate your life there? To truly decide if you want to start over in that country, you need to spend more time there before making any choices.
Here are four ways to help you decide if the big move is for you:
1: Real Life Isn’t Like a Hotel
Often, we can have an idealised view of a country because we stayed in a beautiful hotel and travelled the city/country like a tourist. To truly decide if you want to live in that country, though, you need to live like a local.
That means no hotels! Instead, look to rent a property – either privately or through a site like Airbnb – for at least 3 or 4 weeks. This will allow you to experience what it would really be like to live in that country. It’s a great idea to join your local gym or some groups nearby as well, this allows you to meet others in the community and see if you’ll fit in.
2: Don’t Rely on Restaurants
On holiday, we tend to ignore cooking and rely on restaurants for our meals. After-all, cooking is a boring chore that we need to do while at home. If you’re thinking about living in a particular country, though, it’s essential to get to grips with the local supermarkets.
Food shopping in other countries can be vastly different to what your used to at home. For one, prices can be really different so, it’s important to know what your monthly shop might look like and cost.
3: Learn About the Commute
Moving to a new country means a new job, and this means working out a whole new commute. A great way to work out the community or suburb that you think would suit you best, is to hire a car and get used to the neighbourhood. You’ll be able to see what the roads are like, any difference in driving and how quickly you can get around.
If your move is to a big city, you might not want to rely on a car for your commute. Instead, take lots of trips using the local public transport. This allows you to get used to timetables and what mode of transport gets you around the city quickly and without stress.
4: Visit in Different Seasons
Your country of choice might be warm and beautiful in summer when you visited, however, to truly make sure you’re cut out for life in a new land, you need to visit it in different seasons. Take New York City, for instance, one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. It also has vastly different seasons, with incredibly hot summers and winters that go well into the minus numbers with lots of snow.
If you’re going to enjoy your life in a new country, make sure you’re prepared for every season!
