Things you should do right away when you move to a new country

I’ve moved a lot and experienced being in a new place many times. In my younger years I lived in France, Cambodia, Japan, Venezuela and South Africa. In recent years, with a family, I’ve moved from the US to Singapore and Indonesia. Here are my top tips to make the transition go smoothly.

1. Figure out the grocery store situation. You might not be able to find everything you need in one place, so figuring out where you can buy the essentials is so important. 

2. Join Facebook Groups. Joining local Facebook groups can help you find places to live, things to do with your kids, give you insider knowledge on what is going on in the community and even help you make new friends! 

3. Say yes. One piece of advice I was given by friends who move for work every 2 years is to say yes to everything for the first 2 months you’re in a new place. Someone invites you over for a meal? Say yes. Someone invites you to an activity you’ve never tried before? Say yes. After time you can start saying no. But in the beginning, saying yes can open a lot of doors for you.

4. Learn a bit of the language. Learning simple phrases like “Thank you,” “Good Morning” or “How are you?” can go a long way in connecting with local people. 

5. Be patient with yourself. Moving to a new place is HARD and takes TIME to settle in. You’re going to be exhausted for a few weeks and that is ok. Give yourself some grace. It WILL get easier. I promise. 

What did I miss? Let me know in the comments below things that helped you settle in after moving to a new country.