Tips for living abroad alone

Go out for yourself

One of the best discoveries I’ve had about myself is how much I really love exploring on my own. I hadn’t considered an option before, but if you try it, a huge amount of self-discovery happens.

The first time I toured London alone I felt completely uncomfortable. But after I did, I wondered why I didn’t always do it. Of course, as I said above, economics and timing play a big role in this. But if you’ve moved and your family is gone most of the day, exercise can really happen to you and be your worst enemy for surviving the first year.

So do something for yourself. Sign up for a city walk, make a list of coffee buckets, go to a museum. It’s more than okay, and it will certainly help you not only survive the first year, but also speed up the process of becoming local.

Find a group you can join

A group can be online or a membership that you are a part of to meet new people who share a common goal.

It could be a school organization, a gin making course, a wine membership or even a seconded group. Luckily for me a few of them who put me in touch with some really good people who are now my best friends in the UK. And those are the people who helped me survive 100% my first year. Always grateful!

Set a new goal

The opportunity to live in a new place brings new beginnings. And new beginnings, such as New Year, means new goals. Or maybe not new, but the ones not near you.

Use the first year to think about something you may have started and stopped or not started at all. If you can focus on a goal or skill you want to develop, your energy will shift towards that goal vs. the competitions you have in the first year.

Change your thinking from how to survive the first year to how to reach your goal by the end of the year.

Finished with a hobby

Now is a great time to do something you absolutely love! List the things you enjoy doing that you didn’t have time for or that you didn’t prioritize because the move has taken over your life. I can’t really say that you can make up for a whole lost summer, but you can start by planning the time for yourself to enjoy a hobby that you really enjoy.

Whether it’s cooking, sewing, reading or even traveling, it’s time to do something that makes you happy. Let your hobby be an outlet to help you survive your freshman year.

As you can see now, many of these tips will survive the first year of living together in a new place. You may not necessarily have to make a unique plan for all nine, but you will find that by doing some things, everything will likely go by itself. Oh, and a few places to help you find joy in London while you settle in: Time Out and LittleBird.

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