How to survive living abroad

How to survive living abroad? 

I admit, I really enjoyed my surviving an interview post, so I thought, seeing as I am abroad at the moment, I would give some advice to anyone going or wishing or go and live abroad in another country. I hope you can benefit from this, as it is exciting and as scary as everyone says it is.  

Home is behind you, the world is ahead 

Gandalf, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 

Before going: 

• Research the place you’re going to - if you were going on holiday, wouldn't you research different areas to find the best deal possible? Living abroad is no exception, if not, even more important. Get to know what that town/city is known for and look around for other towns close by that are worth visiting. But there is so much more than just the tourist sights to look for, however good and useful they might be - where are the best places to eat? What about transport links; do they have a bus pass you can get? Is it safe? It would also be ideal to research the country you're going to in general and to find out little things to do/not to do that you might not think about - for example, walking across a road on the little red man or at no crossing at all will get you fined in Germany! The more prepared you are, the more confident you'll feel when you leave. 

• Pack CAREFULLY - let's be brunt about this, you can't take everything. Your suitcase can only take so much and you can't travel with loads of them; it's just really impractical. Most flight limits are 20kg, so if you think you're going to need a bit more than that, pay for more while booking your flight. For clothes, pack for the season you'll be abroad for; and if you're going to be there multiple seasons (for example, when I went to  Turin, it was snowing when I arrived and boiling hot when I left), try and pack things you can wear all year round. Another tip for you is not to pack anything more than a travel size bottle of shampoo, toothpaste, shower gel etc, and instead to buy them when you arrive as they take up space and weight. To Bordeaux, the only other thing I remember packing other than the general essentials is a small photo frame and a Game of Thrones book - a reminder of home and something to do on the plane. To summerise: BE SENSIBLE! 

• Try learning some of the language – the chances are that not everyone will speak English where you’re going, so it would be best to pick up a phrase book and learn a few basics (Hello, Goodbye, Where are the toilets etc). Obviously, if you’re going to improve your language, this doesn’t apply, but it’s always good to refresh your memory. Try picking up a book you already know in the language – by the time my year abroad finished, I had every single Harry Potter book in either French or Italian – and if you prefer lighter reading, try manga or comic books as the pictures give better context if you don't understand the story. 

• Look for a place - it is important that you try as much as possible to find somewhere BEFORE YOU GO!! Yes, you can look while you're there, but you will feel so much better knowing that you have somewhere permanent from the start. 

While you’re there: 

• It's ok to be homesick - nobody wants to be homesick, but it's natural. I don't get it often, and it isn't nice, but I did have people there with me to talk to. The best thing to do is to focus on where you are now and remind yourself that it does go by quickly so make the most of being away.  

• Get to know the natives - this is the best possible way to get your language level up: live with natives, go out with them, and speak to your classmates/colleagues at uni/work. An English group is good for support (I don't know what I would have done without two close friends in Lyon and Turin, and for the Ectarc group in Bordeaux), but try not to rely on them, as it's too tempting to speak English. In France, I know of a French and English conversation night in many French cities called Franglish (go to http://www.franglish.eu/ for more information, it's fantastic!), and there might be something similar in other countries (I don't know for certain of course). Practise it as much as you can and don't be afraid to make mistakes - it's perfectly natural and no-one will expect you to be perfect. If you make a mistake, make a note, keep practicing and learn from it. It's hard slog, but it's unfortunately the only way - and it will prepare you for final year. 

• Go to class/work - no matter how frustrating, you will be surrounded by the language so you need to go - and remember that to work or study is why you're there.  

• Know your house - this comes from personal experience from my time in Italy. If the people who you are living with can speak English, ask them to do the house tour and everything about electricity/water etc in English so you can better understand, and if you don't understand something, tell them. I would have had a lot fewer problems in Turin if I had requested that, especially as my housemate had fantastic English. 

• Be careful of how much you buy - like I said earlier, your suitcase has unfortunately a limited amount of space. There are storage companies that you can inquire about and you can send stuff home, but it can be expensive and unreliable. The best way I've found is to only get stuff you'll need, and use up as much stuff as you can before leaving (I'm particularly talking about food and beauty products here). A couple of souvenirs are good, as it's nice to have a physical memorabilia of where you've been to - but don't buy loads and try to get something that doesn't take up too much space (eg: I like postcards - which are normally quite cheap too). It's natural to want to get stuff, especially in cheaper places like Spain, but remember how you're going to get it home...  

• Keep a vocab book - this is something I need to keep filling in, and I wish I had done when I was abroad the first time. However, I got one, better late than never, for the INSUP course, and for translation at work in Bordeaux. You're obviously going to be encountering new words, and this time, sticking countless post-its all over your desk just won't do it - you need to have them all in one place. Find an exercise book or cheap notebook from the supermarket, take it to work/uni every day, and take a note of whatever you pick or any little bad habits you need to get out of. You never know what you might find, and if you don't use them in that year, you might well when you come back for final year. 

• Try EVERYTHING - you're in a different culture to your own, which is scary, but also exciting, and one of the most exciting differences in culture is food. They might do some things different to us or things that we find strange: for example, I've seen people in Bordeaux take the rind off a cucumber and do what I call "hiding one's grease" aka, have a salad but put loads of dressing on. There are also things that they don't understand about us: I've seen many strange faces being pulled at British culinary delights such as spaghetti on toast, baked beans and deep fried Mars bars. Having said that though, you are in another country so why not try things their way. Just because you might not be a fan of it at home does not mean you won't like it here. Funnily enough, I do not drink wine at home because it gives me a really bad headache, but of course, I have had some incredible wines in Bordeaux. I've had pig intestine in Lyon, mussels and squid in Spain, cold beetroot soup in Lithuania... I even managed to find a coffee I liked in Turin and was able to have it without sugar before I left - I normally hate coffee! It can be strange, and if you end up not liking something, that's fine - but you've tried it and that's the important thing. Trying new things is fun =) 

• Plan your time - researching before you go makes this part easier, as you should know what is there to do nearby. When you know what your working or class hours are, compare with your friends and find out what they will also like to do. Then you can designate more free time to be put into good use, and help you get more into a routine. Another little tip to say at this point is to set aside some time for extra work you may have to do, and stick to it; this will also prepare you for your final year. To summerise, not everyone has the opportunity to do what you're doing, so when you're free, don't stay in your little hidey-hole all the time - get out and see the area! When you work, work; but when you play, PLAY! 

And above all…. 

• MAKE THE MOST OF IT!!! 

After coming home: 

Gandalf: You'll have a tale or two to tell when you get back 

Bilbo: Do you promise that I will come back? 

Gandalf:… No. And if you do, you will not be the same 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 

Sorry for those of you who don't like Tolkien, but I thought this was incredibly fitting to what I have to say. Though you may no be going to Middle Earth or some other fantasy land we can only visit in our dreams, you will be leaving home and living somewhere else; and just like university, you will have plenty of stories to tell, and it will change you, whether you like it or not. Overall, my year abroad did me so much good, as it was, in my opinion anyway, what changed me from a girl to a woman. I did have downs, but they turned me into a stronger, more confident and better person. 

I have met some incredible people and been to incredible places abroad. I have had problems too and even though it's tricky, I have felt so much more confident 

afterwards; ad if I can, you will too. If you can do something abroad, you can do it home too. 

I think this is as much as I can give you. If there is something you feel I have missed out or that you want to ask me about, please go and ask. I won't bite I promise.  

Now go out and have an adventure! 

Charlotte