Tips For Staying In A Foreign Country For An Extended Period Of Time
If your travel plans include staying in a foreign country for an extended period of time. You may be in for a cultural shock depending on the country you are in. It can be quite different than what you are used to and hard to adjust to. These tips will help you get used to your new surroundings while on your extended vacation.
Plan Before You Go
Although I sometimes envy those that just pick up and go seeking their next adventure, it’s not the best way to ensure things go smoothly. With travel you can always expect the unexpected anyway, but you can certainly do some research before you go. Plan a budget that is realistic for how long you plan to be away. Research places to stay and local customs.
Do you need to apply for a Visa or other documentation for the countries you are visiting? In some European countries, you can stay up to 180 days without a Visa, but in Belarus you need one after 30 days. Work visas are reasonably easy to obtain and can then give you 1 to 2 years in many countries. If you want to make some income while away most, cities have language assistance programs where you get paid to teach English.
Volunteer in exchange for room and board. Many farmers, for example, need assistance and cannot pay you, but they will provide accommodations and meals. HelpX and WWOOF are organizations that can help you find volunteer opportunities. Flyforgood.org can sometimes provide discounted airfare for volunteers. If you don’t want to volunteer, Couchsuring.org is another option where you can stay with locals and meet other travelers.
Look into cell phone charges. Make sure you don’t have roaming charges. Also look into credit card charges. You don’t want to have crazy conversion fees. So something like Capital One might be the best option for you. Where will your mail go? Make sure all bills are on auto-pay. Find out about insurance coverage. Most health insurance do not cover you while traveling. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance. Back up important documents like your password and birth certificate. There are plenty of online services that will store this information securely online for you should you need to access it while traveling.
Keep In Touch With Relatives And Friends
Even though you are traveling and having fun you can start to feel isolated if you don’t keep in contact with your friends and family during your extended vacation. Try to call or email them to touch base. Chances are they will be just as excited to hear from you as you are to hear from them.
Take Personal Items With You
For some people leaving home for just a few days can evoke feelings of homesickness. To combat this, brings some personal items on vacation with you. They can be something as simple as a picture of a loved one or your cherished blanket that you’ve slept with since childhood. Whatever it is, it should remind you of home and bring about good feelings.
Seek Out A Local
Locals can help you adjust to your new surroundings. Simply talk to the staff at the hotel you are staying at or strike up a conversation with the waiter at a restaurant. They can advise you on what the cultural norms are. In addition to provide you with ideas on places to go or new foods to try. Staying in a foreign country for an extended period of time is easier if you feel like you fit in and aren’t out of place.
Stay Healthy
Before you g,o have your annual physical and see your dentist. Many travelers find themselves getting sick on vacation because they pack in too much to do, don’t eat healthy and forgo sleep for sightseeing. Getting sick when you are in a foreign country can send you into panic mode as healthcare may be lacking. Make sure you try to eat at least a few healthy foods a day, drink lots of bottled water and get a good night’s rest every night.
If you take medication, make sure you take your prescriptions with you, and find out ahead of time if they will refill while you are aboard or if you will need someone from home to ship them to you.
Staying in a foreign country can sound like fun, but it can be difficult at times. If you tend to get homesick or don’t do well with new environments, perhaps start off with a vacation that’s only a week long and work your way up to even longer trips.
Extended stays in foreign countries require understanding local rules and customs. Our advisors’ Common Mistakes to Avoid When Traveling to Europe guide includes practical advice for longer-term European visitors.
