5 Reasons Why Living Abroad Should Not Scare You

Supporting communities

Finding new connections with the people and communities from your country before moving abroad pays off. Getting first-hand information and knowing a few people in advance helps you to build confidence and gives you a sense of security. In case something goes wrong, you already know who to turn to. Expats help each other, not only with advice but also with actions, e.g., bringing luggage or important documents from your home country.

After your move, it is a good idea to invest the time in getting to know your new colleagues. Maybe your compatriot is working with you, and you even come from neighbouring cities? This fact, and the absence of a language barrier, opens the door for endless discussions and sharing of similar experiences when living abroad. It is also a great joy to find soulmates among your international team of colleagues. What can be more interesting and inspiring than chit-chatting with such people over a cup of coffee and exchanging life stories about traveling, adventure, traditions, cuisine and relations?

An expat network is a great network! As a foreigner in a country, other foreigners see you as one of their own. You´re in the same boat, so why not become friends? It is a rare opportunity to get closer with people who hold a great ranking position, e.g. diplomats, top company executives and highly skilled workers and their families.

In another country, you are usually left alone with the challenges. If you move to Switzerland for example, and face financial difficulties, you are unlikely to ask your relatives to send you money (can you imagine how much they need to transfer to pay for at least a room in Zurich?).

Such adversities toughen you up, make you more responsible and attentive. You look actively for new opportunities both social and financial. What seems hard in the beginning will become a smaller challenge down the line, and your confidence grows with each step.

Adventure awaits you every day as a foreigner in even the most unexpected places. A little thing like buying a bus ticket can turn into an interesting and unforgettable adventure, which has an ability to dilute the grey of everyday life.

With time, you are going to have fewer and fewer stressful situations and find quick and effective ways of learning and solving such tasks as getting a pet to a veterinary, extending a residence permit or going to a doctor.

It is often the case that the place or region people move to is totally new for them, which opens endless doors for traveling. Get out of your comfort zone, go somewhere every week, whether it be a historic place or a place of natural beauty. If you travel on public transportation or go out on the weekend, get acquainted with your new home through the trips; it can only add to the quality of life.