Try new dishes
Moving to a new country implies new cultural adventures and trying new things, and this without any doubt includes food. In general humans tend to stick to what they are comfortable with, especially when moving somewhere new where everything is different. While frog legs in Southern France or crispy tarantulas in Cambodia might make you feel more queasy than hungry, it is nevertheless important to get out of your comfort zone and try a few of the local dishes. Why not celebrate the New Year with a local dish and drink?
Make friends with the locals
Making friends with the locals will not only help you integrate into your new life more easily, but it will also help expand your social network and open you up to many opportunities, and is therefore quite an easy resolution to try. You will learn about the top spots to visit, away from crowded tourist areas, the best places to eat for local cuisine, and get a deeper understanding of the cultural traditions and customs. Usually the locals will also be curious about you and your adventures, so you will have an amazing opportunity to share parts of yourself and engage in a cultural exchange.
Be open-minded
Moving to a new country means adapting to a new culture and new ways of doing things. While the adjustment period is not always easy and can take some time, living in another country gives you a unique opportunity to challenge your perspective and embrace a new mindset, and along the way, a new culture. It is important to keep an open mind and understand the new culture in order to ease into your new life abroad. It makes for an excellent New Year resolution to keep, as it can also apply to many situations and life circumstances. For the coming New Year, explore your expat country's celebratory style and attend a cultural event.
Learn a new language
Many among us would like to add another language to our repertoire, and many of us who have tried know that learning a new language is much easier when you are immersed in the society that speaks it, with no other options for communication. For instance, learning French in a predominantly English-speaking country will make it harder for you to retain any of the French you've learned, unless you start using it in a Francophone country. Being an expat gives you the chance to learn the language and actually practice it with the locals, making learning a new language an excellent resolution to stick to. It also helps to keep your brain constantly active.
Keep in touch
An excellent resolution for expats is to stay in touch with people back home, as well as other friends you have made along the way. In our regular everyday life, we tend to settle into a routine and forget about others, but once we move abroad and realise we left most of our social network behind, the need to keep in touch with friends and family will be stronger, and might even renew a few friendships. It also gives you a chance to share your new experiences, which will not only make you appreciate your expat country on a different level, but also help to remember details of your new life as you relay them to others. And with the digital world that we live in, it gets easier and easier to stay in touch with people all around the world.
Keep fit
Ah yes, the most popular resolution that creates a spike in gym memberships at the beginning of every year: keeping fit. After the holiday season in December where everyone has thoroughly enjoyed festive meals and drinks, comes January and fitness goals along with it. Being fit and healthy is just as important in a new country, so take the opportunity to find out the best places for a work out, the healthiest local meals you can enjoy, and fun sport or outdoor activities in your area.
