It is common to feel a little homesick when you move to a foreign land. So many things are different from what you are used to. In addition to the culture shock, you may be a little lonely as you have not made any friends yet.
You may also fall into the temptation of comparing your current residence to your home and finding your present situation wanting. However, that is no reason to stay indoors feeling lost and left out.
How to Settle and Enjoy Your New Home
Here are a few tips on how you can overcome the first few days of jitters and discover the beauty that Switzerland offers.
Be open to New Experiences
The best way to take in a new environment is to be open to learning about it. Read about where you are as well as the people and their culture. There are tons of articles you can find online that have information about where you are and what makes the people tick.
Additionally, do not be afraid to ask questions. Have an open mind to absorb what you learn and accept the differences that you find there. It helps to accept that cultures are different and to be tolerant even to what we do not understand.
In fact, your cultural conditioning can lead you to make comparisons and constantly mentioning how you do things back home. Where culture is concerned, there is just different; no right or wrong.
Mistakes are Part of Learning
A sense of humour goes a long way into keeping you in good spirits. Learn to laugh at yourself when you fail or make mistakes. It is part of the learning process.
Socialise
Staying in will not make you any friends. If you go to work, make an effort to get to your workmates beyond the workplace. There must be clubs or expatriate networks you can join and maybe meet up with fellow foreigners and people from your home country.
Cosmos Real Value Estates will provide information about settling easily in Switzerland.
Have a small network of friends outside that you can socialize with whenever you need to. While you may be tempted to make contact with expat groups only, having some Swiss friends would not hurt at all.
Learn the Language
One way to always feel like you are part of your new community is to learn the language. The idea is not to sound like an authentic Swiss…although would not hurt…but to be able to understand when they speak and maybe be in a position to respond and be understood.
If you are staying in Switzerland indefinitely, enroll your children in local schools and have them integrate with the local children and learn the culture.
Go Adventuring
You are in Switzerland! Go on excursions, ski like you are making up for lost time, drive into the countryside and savour the beauty of the Swiss landscape.
Make Prior Arrangements for Events That You Like
Simple activities such as going out for drinks with friends or eating out can be exciting to arrange and look forward to. In addition, you can mark your calendar for festivals, holidays as well as outings.
There are a lot of resources on and offline that can help you with your search for places to go and things to do. You can also look up spas and nature parks that you can visit with family and friends. Tourism offices can also be quite helpful with information.
Try Out New Things and Experiences
The comfort zone is a nice place but it can be very limiting. Allow yourself to meet new people and not just in the usual circles. In fact, go for events and festivals you have never heard of before. A new country has a whole lot of new things you can try out. Also, experience the culture and learn something new from it.
Conclusion
It is not always easy to leave your home and get used to a new lifestyle in a strange country. However, you can make the best of it and come out with a wealth of knowledge about worlds outside your own. That is what you will find in a place as pleasant as Switzerland.