The hardest part about living overseas for me is being away from family and friends. Family and close friends are irreplaceable. However, once you live across the ocean from your family it is not possible to see them very often and having connections is still very important. One thing that makes this even more challenging is when most of your neighbors speak a different language then you. Even if you can speak some of their language and they speak some of yours, communicating across culture is still challenging.
I think the most important thing you can do when you arrive in a new country is find people you can connect with. Whether that's through church, a job, an organization, or an expat program. It can get pretty lonely sometimes even when you have connections. The second most important thing is try and remember that with time it does get easier. One thing I like to do is always have something to look forward to. Whether that's going on vacation, hanging out with a friend, or trying something new. How do you cope if you are currently living away from family?
Oh i can totally relate to this and agree - its very very important to connect to people. For this reason - i go to social networking gatherings for expats and also have made some good friends at work.
ReplyDeleteI do not want a huge ste of people ...i want a few nice close friends with whom i can be free and frank without any formalities of cultural differences.