Since then, we’ve moved overseas and back FOUR TIMES and can now also refer offhandedly to skiing in the Alps, seeing the Great Barrier Reef firsthand, or taking a weekend trip to London.
And while I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything, there are a few things that are handy to know before you make the BIG move overseas.
1. It’s not going to be what you envision.
Especially if you’ve never traveled outside the U.S. before now, set aside anything you’ve seen in the movies as wildly inaccurate. (Imagine my surprise to see the Eiffel Tower not completely open and deserted as pictured in so many movies, but completely swamped with crowds of people and vendors).
Your travels likely won’t mirror the quaint experience Amy Adams experienced in Leap Year and I doubt you’ll be living in a villa in Tuscany (though expect a lot of visitors if you do)!
Instead, expect to feel more stupid than you ever have in your life as you deal with language barriers and foreign customs, especially as you navigate through the early days.
You will feel like a fish out of water and have a moment or two of wishing you could go home, but I promise it will get better.
2. Be prepared to slow down your pace.
A favorite bumper sticker I often saw while living in Hawaii stated, “Slow down. This ain’t the mainland.”
Good advice.
Most of the rest of the world doesn’t operate on the same ‘give-it-to-me-now’ hustle and bustle that we’re used to. From setting up cable to house hunting to even simple things like auto repairs, accept now that you’ll likely be doing more ‘hurry-up-and-waiting’ than you’ve ever done before.
Enjoy the simpler pace for a while, and guess what? You might find you like it more than you expected!
