Whether you are planning to become a full-time teacher in Paris or write the Great American Novel in Bombay, leaving home for the unknown is extremely challenging at best and terrifying at worst. The trick is to know yourself and what makes you tick--that will help you through the moments of self-doubt, help you find new friends and ease the homesickness that is likely to ensue.
Learn to live abroad by learning what makes you tick. If you've always been the adventurous type who constantly likes change, moving to India or Paris or Moscow for a year or five years or forever makes sense.If you've always lived in a small town, it may also make sense to pick up and leave--but make sure you aren't putting too much stress on yourself, or fun soon becomes a nightmare.
Thrive on your own. This means you must be the type for whom survival is not enough. You must be the type who finds the idea of learning a new language, adopting foreign customs and seeing the U.S. from abroad a balm for what ails you.If you can't stomach the idea of spending Christmas with a tribe in Africa or birthday shopping for your mom from Rome, you aren't ready for this.
Be the frugal type.Just because you are the kind to get up and go doesn't mean your money should evaporate quite as quickly. If you aren't good with a buck, now's the time to start becoming so, especially if you are moving somewhere such as England, where the dollar-to-pound ratio is not in your favor.You need to budget for this move and then allow a significant amount of padding. If you are not naturally frugal or good with money, ask your accountant friend to go over the numbers. It's awful to be abroad and be low on cash.
Socialize outside your comfort zone. Network, network, network. Whether you are a student or worker, unemployed or gainfully attached to a Fortune 500 company, make every contact count.This should not be a stressful exercise, though, so don't go overboard. But just be aware that the businessman you met at dinner could be your next boss.
Remember to call home.Living abroad does not mean being irresponsible to those we love back in the States. No matter how excited you are about starting the new job in Milan or marrying the Icelander of your dreams, you will miss Mom the moment you hear her favorite song on the radio or sniff her favorite perfume.So put some money aside to call home as often as you like that first month or two--just until both you and Mom realize that you've actually started a new life as an expat.
