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Tuesday 29 March 2016

How To: Cope With Studying/Moving Abroad

New blog name, new me. Just kidding but yes this used to be www.nouveauchique.com but I changed the name because:
1. It was an inside joke no one got
2. I can't think of a second reason

My first post under this new name is going to be about studying abroad. I don't go into too much personal life information on this blog but if you follow me on twitter or instagram you might know that I recently moved to Australia. Yep, half way across the world, away from all my friends and family. I moved here because I had always wanted to live in Australia for a year or two and I thought if I was going to do a masters I might as well do it now and I might as well do it abroad. Why the hell not.

I'm currently living in Melbourne and I love it. Even though I have lived in quite a few places in Europe and in the US, this has by far been the most challenging move for me. First of all, I don't have any family in Australia and second of all, it's so bloody far away. So yes, I have sometimes gotten a little homesick so I thought I would share with you some of my tips to deal with moving abroad.

1. Get to know your surroundings
Walk around. Get on a random bus. Go to a local coffee shop. Go to the park. Just get out of wherever you're staying and get to know your new home. Seeing new and exciting things will make you feel much, much better.

2. Meet new people
If you're a student, GO TO ORIENTATION. This is how I met my closest friends here and if I hadn't gone the whole thing would have been a lot harder for me. If not, just speak to people even if it feels really intimidating because worst comes to worse, it's a little awkward and you never see them again. Join some kind of community club, go to the gym, sit in a coffee shop... you never know who you might meet.

3. Do not call your loved ones everyday 
If you keep calling your nearest and dearest you will never get used to being away from them. Sure, text whenever you want but constantly hearing their voices will make you miss them more and you could be outside getting to know new people.

4. Tinder
I used to live in New York and I definitely used Tinder mainly just to get out of the apartment in the evenings. Even if it's not love (slash you don't wanna bang 'em, sorry just being real here) you'll have met someone new and engaging in conversation will make you feel... well, less lonely. They could even become a friend or more.

5. Print photos of your friends/family
Post some photos of your friends/family on your wall (IRL, not fb). Seeing their friendly faces will make you feel closer to them. Having said this, don't plaster your walls with hundreds of photos of them for the same reason as tip #3.

6. Research
Find out what people love about your new city/village/creek. Melbourne is famous for its coffee and brunches so I'm making the most of that.

7. Go to a bar by yourself
If you really just want to get out, go to a bar by yourself. Have a little drink. People watch. Someone might even come up and talk to you, but if not, so what? Enjoy your own company.

8. Remember why you decided to move in the first place
When I first moved to Australia (ok my mom came with me for a bit, but after she left) I was crying my eyes out thinking WHYYYYY DID I DO THIS. But then after I did a bit of tip # 1, I remembered I was bored of living in London and I was actually getting to experience something pretty amazing. Not everyone gets the opportunity to go on holiday let alone live abroad.

9. SO ENJOY IT!!!

I hope this was vaguely helpful for anyone thinking about moving abroad or anyone who has just moved away. I read posts like this when I was feeling down and they made me feel a little bit more positive.

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