You did all the research, shipped your belongings, asked the important questions about relocating with your family abroad, said your goodbyes to family and friends, and now you have finally arrived to your new home. The weeks leading up to your move abroad can be very stressful and the to-do list seems to only get longer. You never feel truly prepared for this move but somehow, once you have arrived to your destination, you might think “I made it! I went through the toughest part and now I am here.”

However, there is still so much more to do as you adjust to this new country. While the planning process is important as you prepare for a big move abroad, the “real” work begins once you have made the move. Once you have settled in and unpacked the mountain of boxes, there is a new checklist to tackle as you find your way in this new place.

However, adapting to a new country you just moved to with your family does not have to be overwhelming. In fact, this should be the fun part of the entire process! You worked hard to get here and now you can have a fresh start. Check out my tips below to help you have a positive experience while adjusting to life abroad:

Attend Meet-up Events for Expat Families

One of the hardest parts about moving abroad is making new friends. Having a sense of community is pivotal to our well-being abroad and helps us feel adjusted to our new home. However, making new friends abroad might not be as easy as when you make new friends back home. Making friends abroad will require putting yourself out there – joining sports clubs, attending fund creative classes, picking up a new hobby etc. It might feel vulnerable at first and you will have to put in the effort to attend expat events and meet-ups in order to connect with others. Being open to connecting with other families and finding local support groups to join right from the beginning will help you adapt quicker. You can always start this journey by doing a simple search on Meet-up or on Facebook to find local expat groups in your area.

Join Playgroups and Classes for Kids

It is important that everyone in the family feels connected to their new home, including the children. Finding activities and groups for the children to join can help them adjust to this their new life abroad. But where and how do you begin your search? For me, I always turn to Google and search for simple keywords for example, “activities for children in Frankfurt” or “playgroups in English for children in Frankfurt” or “expat families in Frankfurt.” Other places where I search for activities and playgroups for kids is social media – Facebook groups and Instagram. The more connected parents and children feel to their community, the quicker they can adapt and start building meaningful relationships.

Immerse Yourself with the Locals

This is an obvious one, but one that as expats can be tricky to put into practice. Specially when we might often feel compelled to connect mostly with other expats abroad as we have a natural bond and connection. However, it is important to foster our relationship with the locals as well – specially when you move to a country where another language is spoken and want to practice it more consistently. So how can you stay connected and integrate to the local community? My favorite place to start is via community groups and organizations (i.e. your local family center, sports clubs, fitness and other hobby-related groups etc.) When considering staying in a place for a few years, it is particularly important to immerse yourself in the local culture to help you feel connected and learn the local language.

Adjusting to your new life abroad is not always a linear process. You might experience a wave of emotions ranging from feeling excited, to overwhelmed, hopeful, homesick and at times you might even question whether the move was worth it or not. This is all a part of the process and completely normal. However, finding ways to connect with others and integrate into your new community and environment specially during the first few weeks after moving, can have a positive long-term effect on you and your family’s experience abroad. So put yourself out there and give these tips a try. After all, you made the brave move abroad so why not see where this experience can take you?

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