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For some it is hard to resist the allure of a move overseas and the thought of becoming an expat. Whether it is for work, or for other more personal reasons, living in a foreign country can be tremendously satisfying. However, going to another country to establish a new life, I believe, comes with some responsibility and below I would like to present five tips that every aspiring expat should know and think about before they pack their bags:

• do some research - make sure you can legally work in the country you wish to relocate to (this includes volunteering).
• realize that your life will not improve if you are trying to escape demons, whatever your issues are at home they will only be magnified overseas.
• respect local customs and cultural differences.
• remember you are not in your home country so try to go with the flow.
• no matter how long you live in a foreign country you are still a guest in someone else’s country.

These tips are not meant to be condescending or cynical. Unfortunately, we have seen many people move overseas only to be drastically disappointed because their particular brand of hair gel was not available. Or, because “things do not run like this in their country.”

If you decide to move overseas – GOOD LUCK - and for further information, you may wish to read Adjusting to Life Overseas.

If you travel, or spend an extended period of time overseas, then there is a good chance that you might encounter reverse culture shock upon your return home. Reverse culture shock is a funny phenomenon and if you have not experienced it, can be difficult to explain. As a means to prepare students’ who have been abroad the University of Iowa’s International Programs website has this description, “Reverse culture shock basically consists of feeling out of place in your own country, or experiencing a sense of disorientation. While everything is familiar, you feel different. Even walking through the airport and hearing American English spoken can be a very surreal experience.” I can still remember leaving Papua New Guinea and American Samoa and arriving in the United States and everything seemed foreign to me. Specifically, from the way people greeted each other to how people passed others in a crowded grocery store aisle is tremendously different depending on where you are. Sometimes reverse culture shock can be extremely overwhelming and the University of Iowa site goes on to further explain that, “Fitting your new life into your old one can be frustrating. Since every country has a unique approach to life, it can be difficult if you’re used to operating within cultural mode, or have made that approach to life a part of you, to return to the U.S. where the rules are different.”

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