So, you have decided to go abroad to finish your studies, change your career and build your own family there. However, have you ever thought of how you would be living your life in another culture? For sure, the culture in your destination would be far different from the culture of the place where you are currently living in.
“Culture shock” is often the term that we use to describe the phase where we are in need of adjusting to the culture of a place that we haven’t been before or a place that we are not familiar with. Also, the culture would not be the only problem you will face as the weather and language may become a problem or a barrier as well. Nevertheless, there are some people who are able to adapt to a new culture well while others aren’t. Why? Because there are factors affecting the degree of “shock” that one would be feeling. Such factors include their flexibility, prior experience in the place, their expectations and how different their host and home country are from each other.
Don’t be afraid
Surely, living in a new place with a different culture is not an easy task. You may feel depressed, homesick and even out of place. You may also find it hard to make new friends and trust other people. As a result, you will feel irritable and frustrated to the point where you would want to go back to your home country. Nevertheless, everyone goes through such process once in their life.
It’s just a matter of how you handle things, how willing you are to learn their culture.
On the other hand, just because you are afraid that you would not be able to adapt a new culture doesn’t mean that you should not try it out. As a matter of fact, it can help you broaden your horizons and it would be a great and meaningful experience for you. After all, it can make you become more independent and ready to face any problem that life may give you, especially after you have surpassed this big hurdle in your life.
Adapt to the life in another culture
Now, how can you adapt to the life in another culture? First, don’t have high expectations. Also, don’t believe everything that you read on the internet for it may be different from the reality. However, this does not necessarily mean that you should not do your own research. As a matter of fact, researching about the beliefs, values, customs, traditions and culture of the place may give you a glimpse on what life looks like there. In addition to that, it is also very important for you to be open-minded.
Just because the culture you grew up with does not do a certain act doesn’t mean that doing such act in a different culture is wrong. After all, we all grew up and taught differently and it’s just time for us to embrace the differences that we have from each other.
