If you are in the process of moving to Dubai or have just arrived, take a look at some hints to help you settle in better.
Firstly, getting yourself a house or apartment.
So obvious but maybe the most annoying part, as it’s difficult to know where to start. Make sure you take the time to get the ‘feel’ for an area and ask for help by using a company such as Move One they know that when moving into a new home it is perhaps one of the most difficult and stressful aspects of an international relocation. Conducting a thorough home search and addressing all related legal necessities and paperwork is a daunting task so using a professional who understands both the local real estate market might be your best option. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll learn in the beginning about where you want to be but will your budget allow it.
Do ALL the paperwork
Legitimising your life in a new country is a very long part of the whole process, but the most important. Hopefully you’ve got your working visa sorted, or it’s being sorted (sometimes these things take time). Once you have that you need to go about getting that bank account, your new phone plan, medical cards etc etc etc. This can be a frustrating process because often getting all these things sorted relies on getting one of them in place first.
Coping with your homesickness
Moving to a new place is really tough, regardless of whether it’s a few states or a whole continent away. Particularly if you’ve moved alone, but even when you move with your family or a partner, the feeling of being out of place and away from the ones you love can take it’s toll. To cope with it stay in touch using Skype or alike, and plan some fun things for the future.
Meeting New People
Living so far away from home, your friends are going to be your family now more than ever, so invest as much time in making new ones. If already have a few? Great! But more is more when it comes to friends (as long as you’re not sacrificing quality for quantify that is). This is the perfect time to link up with friends of friends or join a sporting team, do some group fitness, go to whatever you can to just meet new people. They’ll be the people who will make you feel better when you’re having a down day.
Don’t lose contact with people at home
But don’t be too busy with your new friends/life that you lose contact with your old ones. Ever feel like someone dropped off the face of the earth when they left town? Or ever returned home after a long trip and felt you didn’t know your friends anymore? Both can be solved by dedicating some time per week to keeping in contact with friends, easy these days with Skype and Whatsapp etc
Get out and explore
Wandering the streets (taxi or car as it’s still very hot) is the best way to get to know your new home, so although it might seem scary at first just dedicate time to understanding your neighbourhood and the new city you live in!
Try not to stress
Moving cities can be stressful. Money and bureaucracy are pretty high stress levels so don’t be too hard on yourself. These things will work out over time and everything will be fine.
Good luck in your new home town, Dubai.
