Being a Kashmiri, I would like to start with a Kashmiri proverb, “Ghar wandhai, ghar Saasa Bur neer ha ni zah.” Home I will sacrifice a thousand homes for you and never want to leave your door. I come from a region called Kashmir, where a lifetime saving is spent building a house. Along with the money, the people in my land invest emotions in this process. We in Kashmir just don’t have houses; we have memory keepers. Working away from home was one of the most difficult tasks ever done by me. Still, being grateful for my colleagues at TIU, my friends here, and everyone around me made it easy, comfortable and interesting. However, there are always certain things to be taken care of, as a foreigner here and as a person attached to my homeland I have gathered some tips to make life easy in a foreign land:

Explore local culture:

  1. Whenever you are working far away from your homeland, try to make a point to explore the local culture.
  2. Try finding social and cultural events listing for fun local activities to attend.
  3. Pay attention to forums such as social media and news articles that mention local cultural happenings.
  4. Consider visiting with your colleagues about possible experiences such as new places to see and foods to taste, and try to stay flexible as you encounter new things.
  5. Anticipate language differences:

Depending on where you work, you might speak a different language than those in your destination country. Try to learn as much of the language as you can ahead of time. You might focus on practical words and phrases that will help you navigate the area, access essential utilities and perform effectively at work.

  1. Stay positive:

You will probably experience challenges to some degree when you are working abroad, when you are moving and when you are getting comfortable in a new position. Keeping a positive outlook can help make these challenges easier and more pleasant to navigate. 

Consider local transportation:

Think ahead about how you will get around once you are working. If you need to purchase or rent a vehicle, look into those processes and availability before you go. If you are going to rely on public transportation, learn as much as possible about the local transit systems ahead of time and obtain any important maps and schedules.

Find a community:

Before and after you move to a new place, try to find a community of people with whom you share common characteristics. This might be friends from work, neighbours or any other social group. These connections are also commonly groups of ex-pats in your neighbourhood because they will probably be experiencing similar successes and challenges as people living and working in a country other than the one they are most accustomed to.

Pack the right amount:

Packing the right amount of luggage can be a useful priority when preparing to work away from your homeland. Packing too much can run the risk of encountering challenges in transporting and storing your belongings during travel and when you arrive. Packing too little might mean missing important items when you reach your destination. Try to pack exactly the right quantity and type of items to make your stay comfortable and help you feel prepared for the initial weeks of your job till you get to know the places and markets around.

Although you may be able to purchase items when you arrive, it can be helpful to bring at least what you will need until you can go to the store. Think about the clothing you are used to and feel comfortable in, the toiletries, and the necessary work equipment when packing for your trip. 

Understand the culture of the workplace:

Whenever working away from one’s own land, ensure you have a sense of the workplace. Try to find out if that location has any variations in work. This can be especially true of work-life balance expectations, which can differ from location to location. Knowing what is expected of participants in employer-sponsored activities, for example, can also be useful when making a transition. Preparing for cultural differences ahead of time can ease your moving experience and help you get settled in easily.

So, if any among the readers is new or is planning to go far away from their homeland for work, do keep the above tips in mind, they will make settling easier and most importantly, Be positive, be strong and remain calm all the time. Enjoy and all the best!

 

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