Use Social Networks to Keep Up with Native News

Use Social Networks to Keep Up with Native News

Whether you’re moving to France, Egypt, Japan or Azerbaijan,  there’s always someone who gets left behind – a grandmother, old friend, brother, daughter – and sometimes it seems like no amount of the brilliant new culture an expat is living after moving to France etc. can make up for that lost physical contact.

The Big Move itself can sometimes overshadow the future logistics of living in a new country – setting up utilities, getting a mobile phone, organising the internet, finding a decent plumber – it’s no wonder communication with home sometimes gets pushed down the list. Specialist European removals companies like ours can take a great deal of stress out of moving to Belgium and so on, but setting up native links is crucial too; make the most of your roots and nurture pleasurable ties to your home country.

According to some experts, the relocation of a person to a new place – a place where their nearest and dearest have never existed – can create a curious dichotomy whereby expats miss their loved ones, but put off contacting them because to not communicate with them has become normal (e.g. emotionally bearable). But modern communication can make the world seem a lot smaller, so here are a few expat tips to help make contact with sorely-missed folks back home a little easier.

•    Create a schedule for phone calls, Skype calls etc – stick to it!

•    Lots of little contacts – e.g. short emails – help foster familiar bonds.

•    Moving to Belgium or Paris needn’t present too much of an issue should you need to return to the UK in an emergency, but if you’re out in the sticks or further afield it can be incredibly calming to have an emergency UK travel route in place.