Dinge, die du vermeiden solltest, wenn du im Ausland lebst

If you turn your back on Germany, you have to be prepared to be confronted with many changes at once. In most cases, the new country differs not only geographically and in terms of landscape, but also culturally from the familiar environment. So you often discover completely different customs, specialties, habits or religions. On the one hand, this is very exciting, but it can also lead to uncertainties or even rejection at first. Unfortunately, it is therefore not uncommon for some emigrants to fall back on the things they know from home. Of course, it is perfectly normal to occasionally miss the usual things from home, but if you just follow the old habits, you might miss the best thing about going abroad. Here are some of the things you should definitely avoid when living abroad.

Surround yourself only with your own compatriots

In most cases, you will always find people abroad who come from your own country. Of course it is much easier to make friends with people from your own country. After all, there are no cultural misunderstandings or language barriers to be overcome, and you immediately feel at home again. But this is exactly where the problem lies. Those who only surround themselves with their own compatriots miss the chance to really get to know the respective country and its people. Even if it seems difficult at first to get warm with the locals, it is worth jumping over your own shadow. Anyone who gets to know the people of a country and befriends them will experience the culture and habits of the place in a completely new way and will feel more welcome and at home.

Only visit the usual restaurants

Quite everyone knows it: you step off the plane, enter the airport in a completely new country and the first thing you see are the large and well-known restaurant chains that can be found all over the world. But if you move abroad, you should not be drawn to it, because the food of a country is usually a large part of its culture and tradition. Getting to know a country also includes trying the specialties. In general, you can observe, for example, where many people are: In the restaurants, which are full of locals, you usually get a good insight into the culture of eating. In addition, you can find out about various dishes and drinks in the country and, for example, cook certain dishes in the traditional way at home.

Immer am gleichen Ort bleiben

Wer dann den mutigen Schritt gewagt hat, ins Ausland zu ziehen, ist zunächst einmal damit beschäftigt, sich in dem neuen Land zurechtzufinden und einzuleben. Sobald man erstmal eine Wohnung gefunden und sich häuslich eingerichtet hat, ein paar Freundschaften geschlossen sind und die neue Stadt gar nicht mehr so fremd wirkt, neigen viele Auswanderer dazu, in dem nun so sicheren und bekannten Umfeld zu bleiben. Möchtest du ein Land aber wirklich mit all seinen Facetten kennenlernen, so vermeide diesen Fehler. Im Ausland zu leben, bedeutet auch, dass man die Chance dazu hat, ein Land in seiner ganzen Vielfalt zu erkunden. Aus diesem Grund solltest du so häufig wie möglich versuchen, das gewohnte Umfeld zu verlassen und neue Orte zu besuchen. So bleibt es spannend und gleichzeitig trägt die Neugierde dazu bei, sich schneller heimisch zu fühlen.

Das eigene Budget aus den Augen verlieren

Ein anderes Land verspricht in jedem Fall viel Abwechslung und Spaß, besonders am Anfang entsteht häufig ein Urlaubsfeeling. Man findet neue Freunde, besichtigt die verschiedenen Sehenswürdigkeiten und genießt das Nachtleben. Natürlich gehört diese anfängliche Euphorie dazu, es ist dabei aber wichtig, dass man das eigene Budget nicht aus den Augen verliert. Es macht häufig auch Sinn, immer genug Geld für einen eventuellen Rückflug parat zu haben.

Sich nicht auf die Erfahrung einlassen

On the whole, a stay abroad is primarily about the experiences you gain. If you think too much, are afraid of new things or stick to old habits too much, you will miss a lot here. The last important tip is therefore to simply enjoy your stay abroad. Instead of stiffening what is going on abroad differently and which German customs you may miss, you should simply engage with people, culture and experience as well and without prejudice as possible.