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2nd Decembern 2011 - by Jade Evans
  
Tips On Moving To England
  

You're moving to the UK. First things first - do you have British money heavy in your pockets and a job waiting for you when you get there? Yes? Well, that's a good start.

For whatever reason you may be moving to the UK, there are a lot of things to think about and have planned before you leave - a lot of things that people overlook.

Beyond having your papers all set and ready, how are you going to get your personal belongings to your new home country? Can removal companies move your goods over land? Will it need to be shipped via air mail, are you driving, or even are you selling your things and buying new furniture when you arrive? If you haven't figured that out yet you may have larger issues than just moving abroad.

But do some research ahead of time - especially if you're going for either partner's employment and didn't necessarily go by choice. Go ahead of time and spend a week there just exploring if you can - not just home-hunting. Try and actually get a feel for the location. Do you like the food, the people, the area? What do you know you'll hate, what do you think you'll have a hard time adjusting to, what do you think you'll love?

Really try and find the time to go at some point when you can just explore, and don't have to be stressed about finding a place to live or buying furniture - it can greatly change your perspective of a place and how you look forward with this new chapter of your life.

That's another thing - what kind of proficiency do you have in the local language? Any? It may sound like a silly question for moving to the UK...but take a look into what kind of British slang there is around - and you could avoid some embarrassing fax-paus. Take a look at "fanny" - I won't define it here.

If you're choosing to go there because you love the location - do you know anyone there already? Do you have any kind of community built up around you? If you don't - what kind of ex-patriot community is there in the area? Especially if you're moving for work and don't necessarily have a strong grasp of the region, you'll want to make sure there are at least some expats you can get in touch with to get a feel for what to expect and to ask questions about where to buy your favorite goods from home.

But the biggest thing to do when you arrive and after you've unpacked, whether you're only there for a year, or if you're there for the next 5 or 7, immerse yourself. Make new friends locally - don't spend all of your time calculating the time difference between there and 'home' - so that you can call all your friends and complain about the new place you're living.

This new place is where you are going to be for the forseeable future. Enjoy it, and actually live it!

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Source: http://articlesabroad.com

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