21 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Moving Overseas

It’s been three months and twenty days since I moved half way around the world. I’ve hit a lot of bumps in the way, I’ve cried (many times), but I’ve also realised there is a whole bunch of things I wish I was told before my move.

 

1. Uber drivers are pretty cool (most of the time)

2. It’s okay to be mad and annoyed (and even sometimes hate) your new country

3. Travel changes you

4. People think they can take advantage of you because you’re a kid living out of home

5. Watching your life pass by at home is hard

6. Having two of everything becomes totally normal

7. Guaranteed, you will be a tourist in your own city for a solid two months before you start talking shit about how boring said city is

8. Work is 10x harder when you have no one to go home to, to vent about it.

9. Your happiness is so much more important than a job – get out of there; it’s scary but so is being unhappy

10. Talking to your family and friends is hard, but you have too, shutting them out does more damage than good – for all involved.

11. Stand up for yourself because newsflash no one is going to do it for you anymore

12. Stop converting the price of everything

13. Meeting someone from the same hemisphere is life changing

14. Don’t forget to celebrate the successes you have; even if they’re small

15. Sometimes it feels like home isn’t home; the word home becomes confusing

16. Get used to goodbyes

17. You appreciate where you come from so much more

18. Be prepared to meet your emotions

19. Connect with people – all day, everyday, wherever and whenever you can

20. Going to gigs is so important (as well as learning about the music scene in

your new city/country)

21. You might not find yourself but you will learn who you are

 

When I read back on this list, I feel like I look like a bitter old hag who isn’t grateful but the truth is sometimes I do question whether I should of moved over here. Sometimes I think it would have been 10x easier if I had just gotten a life and gone to University but then again, anything that’s worth having, isn’t easy, right? If you have ever considered moving overseas, whether it be a short time, I urge you to take that step; I promise you, it will be worth it.