Words of Advice to my Pre-Expat Self

I knew when I moved to Iceland it wasn’t going to be easy. I knew I would I face challenges and I knew some days I would miss home so badly it hurt. I knew many days I would face challenges and would feel like crying. Knowing all these things though doesn’t help you much when the challenging days actually happen.

I don’t think there is really any way that you can be 100 percent prepared for what you will face when you move abroad. For the most part I am just taking it one day at a time and am trying to embrace the experience of adjusting to life here in Iceland. There are some tips though that I would of told my pre-expat self, it might have helped make some of those rough days a bit easier.

1. At times you will feel like a confused child who needs help with every little thing. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it, your in a new country don’t expect to know everything right away.

2. Grocery shopping may cause anxiety. Keep calm and laugh it off, its totally normal to buy sour milk thinking it was soy milk.

3. You will find yourself in many uncomfortable situations and will have to put yourself out there more times than you want to. Embrace the uncomfortable feeling, no matter what happens these situations will give you great stories to look back on and laugh about.

4. Language barriers sometimes just flat out suck. When you don’t understand the language it will make you feel like the odd man out. No one enjoys that feeling but it is something you will have to learn to cope with.

5. Not knowing where to go to buy simple things like mascara may cause a breakdown at times. Try not to get to irritated with H, he is a boy and doesn’t understand the importance of these things.

6. Making friends is hard! You will miss the days on the playground where the person on the swing next to you became your instant friend, why can’t it still be that simple?

7. Learning a new language is extremely difficult. Don’t be so hard on yourself and know its okay to make lots of mistakes and sound completely ridiculous. You will speak cave man Icelandic for awhile but at least it gives you and H something to laugh about.

8. Visa paperwork was created to push an expat to their limit, the ones that survive the process are deemed worthy to be approved for a visa. Try and be patient in this never ending process, with lots of wine you will make it through.

9. It takes a long time to feel at home in new surroundings. Some days nothing will feel familiar, other days you will feel right at home.

10. Keeping connected with family and friends back home is a challenge, feeling left out happens, the strong connections tend to be the ones that survive, cherish them.

11. At times you will look a bit out of place, just rock it and embrace your differences. Someone (aka H) will forget to give you the memo that everyone wears black running pants to the gym, your favorite neon running pants won’t exactly help you to blend in but wear them anyways!

If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you― Fred DeVito

While life as an expat is not always easy the challenges I have faced are what has helped make me the person I am today, and I am damn proud of the person I have become because of those challenges!

So bring it expat life! I am ready to continue fighting, and on the days that I am not so up for the fight, well thats when I lean on my family to give me the support and push I need.

Question of the Day?
What advice would you give your pre-expat self?

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