12 ways to settle in a new country

Moving to a new country can evoke emotions ranging from excitement to outright fear of the

unknown. Concentrate more on fuelling the excitement and not so much the fear; don’t worry about

your fear because it is justified. Nevertheless, with the proper planning and the right mindset, you

can achieve a smooth transition into a new country and environment by considering following

factors:

1. Willingness

Throughout my time in Germany, one thing has stuck out to and at the same stuck with me: the

willingness to integrate and settle in without upholding the barriers, both perceptible and

imperceptible.

So, the first prerequisite for your settling to be even more pleasant and smoother, is to add the

willingness to integrate into the new society and surroundings to your packing list. Be ready to open

yourself up for new experiences, new perspectives and ways of living. Check out my video on culture shocks here: https://youtu.be/CURxbIlL9Hs

2. Be Open

Openness and willingness go hand in hand: your willingness to explore and adjust to a new setting

will require your not being narrow-minded. You will learn to tolerate what you can’t change and to

live and let live. Learn to respect other cultures and take from these cultures to enrich your own life.

3. Research

You need information. Period. One way to counter your fears is to research general information

about the country, its history - the secrets of the future lie in the past-, its culture and particularly,

that city you will be moving to BEFORE you move! Not only will researching calm your fears,

researching will also fuel your excitement as you will find out what you should look forward to

experiencing. As the Germans say: “Vorfreude ist die schönste Freude!” i.e. anticipation is the best

joy!

4. Know your surroundings!

Know where you are moving to and how to get around: find the supermarket, the café you’ll be

frequenting, the laundromat you will be using till your washing machine arrives etc.

5. Figure out public transportation.

Part of knowing your surroundings is knowing how to move from A to B. So, find out how the public transportation works. Public transportation is also quite efficient if you are looking for an opportunity to mingle with locals! Save the environment and make new friends!

6. Explore

Now you know where to find what and how to move around. Next? EXPLORE! Actually, leave your house and go to the famous bar in your that booms with the daily live performances. Try the Doner-Kebab joint down the street. Make connections and get to know your community.

7. Partake in activities

Find out what activities and clubs are available in your vicinity. Find out how you can contribute your own quota and make like-minded friends and the same time.

8. Join expat groups on social media

Facebook is your go-to platform. There are several “new in the city” groups. Meet with fellow

newbies for a bite or workout.

9. Stay busy

One way to stay busy is to work. You are inevitably going to learn the language or at least start some broken version of it and interact with others.

10. Learn the language

This is a step you can embark on even before you move. The language is unarguably going to make

your time in the foreign country much easier and break even more barriers beyond the language

barriers. Also, number one applies to this point. Be ready to learn. Your willingness will go a long long way.

11. Food

Love goes through the stomach. Liebe geht durch den Magen! And that’s that!

12. Give yourself time

Yes, give yourself time to acclimate. Not everything will go smoothly but take a day or a week at a

time and tackle the above-mentioned steps over and over again.

Enjoy the process!