Starting a New Life Abroad
Living Abroad and Avoiding Crime
Published on 19 December 2007
Living abroad is an excellent experience that thousands of people from all over the world try each year. With some 200,000 Brits alone taking leave from their homeland each year, this trend is showing no signs of slowing. Living abroad does come with some potential pitfalls though. Perhaps one of the most frightening for a newly relocated retiree or expat is the potential of becoming a victim of crime in a foreign country. This can and does happen, but there are some things you can do to protect yourself no matter your destination.
In this article we’ll explore how you can enjoy living abroad whilst lessening your chances of becoming a victim of crime. The reasons to take the right precautions are clear even if you’re still living in the UK. Living abroad however can complicate the issue. Since many popular expatriating destinations also present with a language barrier, avoiding the need to deal with the authorities any more than necessary is often seen as a plus. Being a victim of a crime and trying to deal with Bulgarian or Turkish authorities for instance, can be a daunting experience at best.
Living Abroad and Feeling at Home
Published on 09 December 2007
Living abroad can be an incredible experience that many people choose to try on for size for a year or two and then end up staying in their country of choice forever. Others however, have a more difficult time of it. Try as they might they miss the comforts and familiarities of home and never feel like they fit in.
How can would be expats prepare themselves and ensure they stand a chance of fitting in? In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the answers to that question. Whilst they can depend a lot on the particular country in question, there are ways to help yourself feel at home when loving abroad – especially when you’re living in your own house or flat!
Living Abroad and Keeping in Touch with Family
Published on 30 November 2007
Living abroad is a fantastic way for retirees to stretch a pension and enjoy life to its fullest in a new and exotic destination. It is also a wonderful way for a younger person to learn about a new culture while creating a life that is excitement-charged and truly unique. As glamorous as it sounds though, many expats do find themselves feeling more than a touch of homesickness. Once the honeymoon period wears off, a longing for home, friends and families starts to set in.
So, should expats pack up right then and there and return home? For some, it might be the answer. Others however dig their heels in and set their determination to really make a go of the experience. One of the best ways to ease the pain of homesickness is to come up with a plan for keeping the lines of communication open wide with friends and family back home. Since phone calls tend to cost too much, some expats are using more creative ways to achieve this without eating the expenses of long distance, international telephone calls – living abroad and keeping in touch with family is more than possible.
Living Abroad and Stretching a Budget
Published on 29 November 2007
The allure of living abroad has captured the attention of more than 5 million Britons to date. With thousands leaving the country each year to make new lives for themselves in places far and wide, the trend isn’t likely to end anytime soon. One of the top reasons expats cite for leaving is the economics of living in the UK. Whether it’s Bulgaria that offers lower housing prices or Belize with a more reasonable cost of living, the appeal of having the opportunity to live better and afford more is incredibly strong.
Shortly after settling down in their country of choice however, many Brits living abroad find the “affordable” costs they anticipated aren’t adding up. Scratching their heads as they look at grocery bills in Venice or electric bills in Bulgaria, they wonder what they are doing wrong. Chances are the answer to their woes lies in a few common mistakes that expats often make – let’s look at living abroad and stretching a budget.
Health Insurance when Starting a New Life Abroad
Published on 02 November 2007
Those of us who were born and/or brought up in the UK have always known that we have the NHS to rely on if we fall ill and need any form of medical treatment. This is a great comfort to us of course, but it is also one that many of us take for granted right up until the day we start to consider becoming an expatriate and moving to live abroad.
The trouble with the NHS is that it is so good, free and always there for us and that makes us spoiled and unaware of just how good we’ve got it. But reality soon bites when we learn about the requirements for health insurance when starting a new life abroad.
Living Abroad with Children Cultural Obstacles to Consider
Published on 26 October 2007
Young expatriates who travel abroad with their children in tow or those who might find themselves falling in love and marrying whilst living in Turkey, France, Belize or elsewhere often overlook one issue that can present big problems down the road. This issue involves the cultural obstacles that quite frequently crop up when children are involved in an international relocation or are born on very different shores from their mother or father’s native land.
If you’re thinking of expatriating and children are already or may well be in the picture, this article about living abroad with children and the cultural obstacles to consider is for you. Whilst cultural issues do sometimes present problems, parents who plan for them often find they are but mere bumps in the overall adventure we call life!
Living Abroad and Helping Children Adapt
Published on 19 October 2007
If your plan is to live abroad with children in tow there are quite a few extra considerations that should come into play. Beyond making the very big decision about how and where to educate your children, you’re going to have to take steps to help them settle in to a new life overseas.
It doesn’t matter if you’re moving to live in Bulgaria, Dubai or even very ‘British similar’ Canada or Australia, there will be a period of adjustment for young and older children. Plan on some very big ups and downs along the way…that said, there are plenty of things expatriate parents can do to help their children get along in a new country. If you want to know about living abroad and helping children adapt then know that it won’t be all fun and games, but with some diligence, understanding and patience, most children manage to adjust well.
Checklist to do Before Moving Abroad
Published on 02 October 2007
If you’re considering moving abroad, expatriating, living a new life overseas - there are a multitude of things you need to take into account and plan for before doing so!
Whether your “greener pasture” is in France, Spain, Italy or beyond, a checklist of the basics can help you prepare for an international relocation. This is the Shelter Offshore checklist to do before moving abroad…
Advice for Expatriates from the Blogosphere
Published on 28 September 2007
The idea of relocating to a foreign country with a different lifestyle and landscape is a dream come true for thousands of Britons. In fact, newly released figures state that about 190,000 Britons made the choice to pack up and move out of the UK last year alone with current estimates intimating that the number could be far higher in 2007.
If you’re considering living life on a sandy beach in Morocco or in the mountains in Bulgaria chances are you’re also wondering how you can find out what it is really like to live in one of these locations before you commit to the relocation abroad. One place to turn to find unofficial and often amusing advice is the internet and in particular, excellent advice for expatriates can be found within the blogosphere.
More British Citizens Expatriating and Living Abroad
Published on 24 September 2007
British population figures and statistics reveal that more British citizens are expatriating and living abroad than ever before. They are leaving the country in unprecedented numbers for greener pastures elsewhere.
According to the Daily Mail, many of the 196,000 who left Great Britain last year found themselves in Spain, America, Australia, New Zealand and France for example. So if you’re thinking of expatriating it’s obvious you’re not alone! Still, you might find yourself wondering if this major lifestyle choice really is right for you – after all, how can you be assured you’ll fit into a new life overseas?