If you are keen on working together abroad, then you will need to be aware of a few things you need to work on before the big day. Let’s get started with what comes ahead so you can make it work:
What made you decide to move overseas? This question will often come up just about everywhere, from family gatherings to friends and even during interviews in local consulates. A lot of times people would answer that it was all for the experience, a new job, a chance to see the world and so forth. The truth is you will likely be facing a pretty challenging time together, despite your best interests at heart. You would do well to discuss your experience together so you can figure out what your aims and expectations are in terms of the expat lifestyle you are about to enter. This is less about fun daydreaming about potential touristy attractions and trips and more about considering the practical side of the coming house moving experience. Are you moving overseas for a chance to save money? Do you plan on traveling to neighboring countries or to travel on a local level? How active do you plan to be when you’re learning about the local culture and language? Are you willing to stay overseas for a lot longer than one simple contract? These are all valid questions you need to ask each other and yourself.
That is one thing you will likely never avoid, questions about how you got married, are you getting married, kids and more are all part of the landscape, so you will likely be asked these questions quite a bit while living abroad. You should get used to these questions asked by pretty much anyone, from kids to bosses, taxi drivers, shopkeepers and many more. In most places that you will travel together with your partner people will be quite more curious than in the west, as well as more open about it. You will likely deal with these questions on a regular basis after moving, so get used to it and the curiosity of the people you meet.
In an expat culture the first few months overseas are very important, since being abroad can feel isolating in a really bad way, especially since language and culture around you is completely new and foreign. You should be mindful that this would also put pressure on your relationship and you need to ensure your partner is not your social outlet. Making sure you work on forming friendships and you build a good social network will help spread out your social needs wide instead of focusing on your partner exclusively. It can get tiring even in the best relationships, so you would do well to have a hobby and to widen your social circle to make it easier on your partner. Take separate language classes or take them together if you feel you need to, but each of you should have some breathing room of their own to make for a more calm and stress-free life.
If you happen to share a job with your partner, then you should keep in mind that your relationship as coworkers may get in the way of your actual relationship. Don’t let the stress of everyday life get to you and in the way of your relationship.
If possible, you should take a trip together before you decide to pack up and do moving overseas. We don’t mean camping or some fun honeymoon, but actually experiencing a place with language barriers, culture shock, navigation of new cities and strange local traditions and dishes. Take a trip to a place completely different from your own and you will have some field experience for what comes ahead. Why would you need to do that? Well for starters you will learn more about how your partner handles stress, foreign languages and how they cope with feeling lost and disconnected from what is familiar. Apart from seeing new sides of the one you live, you will be able to understand your own strengths as well as your limitations when you are living in a foreign location.
There a have been plenty of couples that go overseas with the idea of having fun, saving up some cash working there and coming back home. Most often this timeline doesn’t really work the way people expect however. The story will often go in a way where they decide to take a contract, but complications may occur that would get in the way. Make sure you are ready for them as you handle moving forward.