×

Warning

The mail function has been disabled by an administrator.

My Final Thoughts Before Moving Abroad

Nervous about moving overseas? Here are four soothing reminders.

With my move to Amsterdam just days away, I’m starting to feel the mix of nerves and excitement that come before any big change. While I can’t wait to start this new chapter in my life, there are a few thoughts that I keep coming back to.

The benefits of modern technology

Travellers today are fortunate to have access to technology that allows them to stay in touch with loved ones back home. When my parents travelled after university, the only way they had to communicate with friends and family was through letters, postcards and the occasional, pre-planned phone call.

Today, the world has never been smaller; we can see and talk to those back home with the touch of a button thanks to programs like Skype and FaceTime. For someone who is moving out of the country for the first time, this is a very comforting thought.

Maintaining long-distance friendships

Maintaining my friendships when away from home for this extended period will take effort. For the first time in my life, my friends aren’t going to be just around the corner; they’re going to be on a different continent with a different time zone. To avoid the distance taking a toll on my friendships, we have already looked at the calendar and scheduled time to get caught up.

Being in different countries also means that I can take advantage of good old-fashioned snail mail and send letters and parcels to my friends back home. Everyone loves getting mail, right?

Overcoming language barriers

I’m fortunate to be moving to Amsterdam, where English is one of the primary spoken languages, but I’m sure there will still be situations where language barriers will occur. Fortunately, with today’s technology travellers have plenty of resources right at their fingertips to help break down these barriers.

The Google Translate app lets you use your smartphone’s camera to translate printed text into different languages. If that wasn’t cool enough, it also has a voice conversation mode that does real-time translations as you talk.

Modern technology is great, but isn’t always reliable. To be prepared for technology-free situations, it’s never a bad idea to practice a few important phrases or even carry a pocket phrasebook. You might worry about sounding silly, but it's a safe bet that the person you’re talking to will appreciate the effort and be patient with you while you try to get your message across.

A sense of adventure

The most important thing I keep reminding myself is to have a sense of adventure. Moving to a new country can be intimidating, but it provides countless opportunities to experience new adventures and grow as a person.

I can’t say for sure what this next year will bring, but I can tell you that I will experience things I never would have experienced if I had chosen to stay home.

Add this article to your reading list
Published in Work Abroad Blogs
Tori Holmes

Tori Holmes is a Canadian freelance copywriting and social media specialist living in Amsterdam. After graduating from the University of Guelph and doing post-graduate studies at the University of Toronto, Tori moved to Amsterdam to fulfill her dream of living and working abroad.

Website: www.findtherightwords.ca

Join the Verge Community

Verge Magazine Membership


Join our community of savvy travellers and put nearly two decades of inspiring articles, authoritative information and expert advice to work for you.

Show me more > Login >

 

Travel Intelligence Bulletin

Namibia

The latest openings overseas—direct to your inbox.

Subscriber Login

About

Travel with purpose; travel for good. Articles, resources and events for ethical and meaningful travel, volunteering, working and studying abroad.

Verge believes in travel for change. International experience creates global citizens, who can change our planet for the better. This belief is at the core of everything we do.

Like what you see?

Follow us on social media