If you have an opportunity to spend a year in a foreign country, it would be a shame to waste it feeling lost, confused and homesick, yet many people do.  With a little preparation it can be the best year of your life.  Here's how to make sure it is.

First - do your research.  Don’t just read the tourist information but find out about the customs and culture of your destination.  Powell's 'Culture Shock!' series is very helpful.  If you can find a couple of novels set in your new location, read them too.

Next - learn the language.  So you won’t be fluent in your year there, but even a few words like 'please' and 'thank you' will endear you to your new neighbours.  Make a start and take a phrase book or audio tape with you.
 

Remind yourself regularly that you are not going on vacation.  You are going to live in your new country and that takes a whole different mindset.  A holiday attitude will wear off after a few weeks and put you at risk of boredom and homesickness.

Be open to everything.  If you must have your favourite cereal with low fat yoghurt and raspberries every morning, then perhaps you should stay home where it is readily available.  If you want to really experience another culture, eat what the locals eat.  Why not fish for breakfast?  Get used to chillies with everything.  Try those stodgy looking dumplings.  Never say you don’t like something before you’ve tasted it at least twice.  Set yourself a limit on things you absolutely refuse to eat – no more than two or three.

Find a friendly local who speaks your language or at least someone from your own country who has lived there (happily) for a long time.  A lot of settling-in glitches and expensive mistakes can be avoided if you have a friend who knows the territory.  It’s usually a quick way to find the best, cheapest and most interesting places too.  Search online – they are out there looking for you.

Avoid being absorbed into ex-pat groups.  Though they can be helpful and, occasionally, a lifeline when you are feeling frustrated and alone, they are often populated by disgruntled ‘foreigners’ who want nothing more than to recreate a little corner of their world in the new country.  Treat with caution.

Be aware of culture shock syndrome; it happens to almost everyone.  Expect a few weeks of confusion and uncertainty, followed by a few months of euphoria and enchantment.  Be prepared for the low that comes next.  It passes and is replaced by a calmer and more comfortable attitude that will see you through the rest of your stay.

Finally, it’s worth repeating; be open to everything.  If you are invited to go kayaking, to eat raw fish, to join a family celebration or visit someone’s sick granny, just do it.  You may never get another chance and it will be those moments that you will remember for the rest of your life.

This content was provided by one of our users, DarylM