5 tips for a happy Expat life

Expat life can be a roller coaster. Those of you who are on it, know this all too well. Here are five tips I have come across, that hit home and made me smile. All too often we take the little things for granted, instead we should stop in our tracks and appreciate the moment.

1.) Schedule time for your most significant relationship
Check in with each other along the relocation journey, even when it starts to feel like home. There is no-one lonelier than a lonely expat.

2.) Give yourself time to adapt, plenty of time
No matter how many times you move, or how good you get at it, it is rarely easy or straightforward. Even when it feels easy, it can still take up to a year before you are feeling settled, so be gentle with your expectations.

3.) Balance your online and in-person life
It is easy to get caught up in new friendships at the expense of old ones, or cling to friends from home as a way of avoiding making new ones. Both have their place, both are necessary and both should be cherished.

4.) Look for the similarities and enjoy the differences
Remember that people the world over are more similar than they are different. Look for the similarities and enjoy the differences and be open to whatever lies in-between.

5.) Never decide to become an expat primarily for the money
Expat life is exciting and challenging, usually both at the same time. Your heart and your spirit (and those of your partner) are much stronger indicators to success than your fatter wallet.