We are quickly approach our ninth month of living abroad. Yay!  As such, we have learned a few ways to make our life easier here in México that might be useful to you as you plan your own life abroad. We didn’t know a lot coming into this journey. Now that we’re here, and know more, we are so happy to share with you! Here are five ideas to keep in your back pocket for when you make the big leap abroad.

 
1. Make good friends with your neighbors.
When we moved into our new neighborhood, I was half expecting our neighbors to come to our home with baked goods to greet us. This wasn’t the case. We’ve since made very good friends with our vecinos by saying hi and making small talk as we move about the neighborhood. Recently, our power was cut unexpectedly and the electric company anticipated a 5-7 day outage. It was recommended we ask our neighbor if we could borrow their electric and pay them for it. Had I not known my neighbors, I’d have been reticent to ask. If we ever move, I will not wait for my neighbors to come to me. I will make it priority to go to them with a small gift and a friendly greeting because it’s always good to have friends!

2. Get ‘a guy’ (or girl).
Navigating in a new country is not always immediately easy. Customs, language, cultural norms, etc., can make getting things done a very time consuming and confidence deflating process. Knowing the right people can get you far. Having the consummate ‘guy’ (or girl) to accompany you when you need translation help or can quickly come over and fix something for you, etc., is helpful, especially for someone who does not have family along for the ride.

 
3. Leave your expectations behind.
Although there are plenty of technological advances here in México and throughout the world, in general, things are just different from the States. Every country has their own unique and wonderful way of doing things. Coming into a new country, expecting things to be ‘like they are back home’ is a sure-fire way to make you miserable. I’ve learned so much patience from this move abroad. Things that I typically expect to take just a few moments, take hours. Projects that should take just one or two days may extend to a week or more. Learning to go with the flow is key to keeping your sanity!

 
4. Live like a local.
One of the best parts of moving abroad is getting to know new people, new customs and a new way of life. For many expats, particularly those limited language skills, venturing beyond the expat enclaves can be intimidating. It is so necessary though. We make a concerted effort to associate with locals by learning and using the language. We frequent the local markets, recreation areas and restaurants. This will go a long way towards making your life in your new country much richer and more enjoyable.

5. Get creative.
An unexpected benefit to moving abroad has been a lifestyle-necessitated increase in my level of creativity. Moving abroad on a shoestring budget with suitcases containing only clothes and a few other precious belongings will require you to be creative when it comes to outfitting your home and life. Things I thought I had to have, I’ve learned to live without and I’ve learned to repurpose things as needed. Did you know coconut oil can do everything? I didn’t. Now I do! Living life Target-free has stretched me to be more creative, more ‘eco-friendly’ and less wasteful which has been an unexpected benefit of this new life abroad.

Living abroad takes a large dose of patience, a bit of grit, and a genuine desire to learn about and embrace a new culture and way of life. Our family has benefitted significantly from making the transition and we have grown in ways we never expected. Despite the occasional unexpected bump in the road, we remain undeterred on our journey and we are hopeful we can be of assistance to you as you embark upon yours!

Visit us at our sister site La Vida Lindsay for more on how we can help you seamlessly transition to location independence and successfully navigate the moving abroad process.