Taking the plunge to live and work in China wasn't that tough a decision to make. I’m passionate about travel and saw this as a great way to travel, earn some money and really get an indepth look into the culture。

 

I had all these pre-conceived ideas of what it all would be like, the experience, the school and the accommodation.   It all got off to a very rocky start with my placement falling through and having no clue what was going on, when I would be leaving or where I would be going.  What I thought my experience was going to be turned out to be everything but.

 

I finally arrived at my placement only to discover I was the only foreigner around and that hardly anyone in the school spoke English.  Those first few days were extremely tough, all I wanted to do was get on a plane and fly back home.

 

Since those few dark days things have really picked up.  I love teaching and I even love my apartment squat toilet and all!  Now don’t get me wrong things certainly aren’t perfect and it can be extremely lonely being the only foreigner for miles but I'm surviving. I got through those tough few days coming out on the other side with a whole new positive outlook appreciating the fantastic opportunity that I have.

 

Based on my experience over the past few weeks settling into my new life in China here’s my advice for anyone who’s planning on living and working abroad.

 

1.      Lower your expectations

Don’t expect it to be at all like the image you had pictured in your head.  If you don’t expect too much then you won’t have far to fall and it will be much easier to cope and adapt when things aren’t ideal.

 

2.      Give it time

Don’t instantly give up and buy a ticket to fly back home.  Most likely things will improve and your new life will just become the norm. Wait it out and give yourself the time to really settle in, you may even find that you fall in love with the place. 

 

3.      Let it all out

So you’re feeling incredibly emotional, sad, lonely and way out of your comfort zone. Fork out the cash for that expensive international phonecall and call someone you can vent to.  Just hearing a familiar friendly voice is a huge comfort.

 

4.      Get out there and explore  

Go outside the confines of what you have come to view as your prison and really get to know the area.  Find the local supermarket, local hangouts, local park and people watch.  The process of exploring and discovering how the locals live may re-ignite that excitement and exhilaration that comes with travel. 

 

5.      Create a routine

Routine can be so boring but it also speeds up the settling in process.  It is extremely comforting to have some consistency like going for a walk every evening or every morning cleaning up the pool of water on the living room floor that has leaked from the shower.  Maybe you could have one night a week where you can indulge your western food craving or every Friday night watch pirate copy DVDs.

 

6.      Make the space your own  

Now chances are you didn’t get much choice in where you live and even less choice in the furniture and décor.  But the good news is unless the furniture is bolted onto the floor it can always be moved around to your liking. If you have a particular eye for interior design you can always get new bedding and a few cheap accessories to really make the place feel like your own. 

 

7.      Travel, travel, travel

Unless you are literally in the middle of nowhere with civilisation days away then weekend trips should definitely be on your survival agenda.  Getting away for the weekend, travelling and meeting other foreigners is a great way to put the spark back into living abroad.  If you have something to look forward to than the days will fly by! 

 

8.      Stay connected  

Write emails, keep a blog, call people and Skype away.  Staying connected with friends and family is what will keep you sane!  You may be the only foreigner in person but at least you can talk with others who fluently speak the same language as you.  You will realise that you are not completely alone!

 

9.      Learn the language

Now no one expects you to become fluent but knowing a few phrases can make a huge difference.  If you at least try you will earn brownie points among the locals even if you fail most will be very understanding.

 

10.  Treat yourself  

What’s your luxury?  Maybe you love a good cappuccino or just a nice slice of toast. Find somewhere where you can treat yourself to this luxury and give you some connection to the life you had back home.

  

 

You can read all about the drama of my first few days in a new city, living my new life in an apartment with a squat toilet on my blog.

 

 

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