I’ve started my life from scratch three times in three different countries. 

The first time was pretty brutal. I hopped off a plane in Chongqing, China knowing only a handful of words in Chinese and immediately started teaching classes. Almost no one spoke English, the internet I normally used was blocked, and the restaurant menus were filled with incomprehensible alien characters. Most of the food was soaked in oil (Chinese love oil) and I spent hours in the bathroom.

My life consisted of teaching, eating with the other foreign teachers, wandering around my small Chinese town (HeChuan), and staring forlornly at people living their daily lives.

Over the next year, I combatted all of the ailments that chronically afflict the immigrant and the expat like culture shock, loneliness, lack of direction, and lack of friends. I more or less conquered the depression that can keep foreigners shut inside wishing they were anywhere but where they are.

By the end of the year I could get around China with my rudimentary Chinese, I’d joined a small soccer team full of teachers, I knew more about restaurants in town than most locals, and I’d secured an even better teaching gig down the street.

I left China after two years and moved to Vietnam.This time to bustling Ho Chi Minh city where there were many more English speakers. It was much easier to adapt the second time because I’d learned how to overcome culture shock in one of the most difficult situations out there.

I eventually left Vietnam and after a year in the US I moved to Argentina. By now, I had a system for adapting to new cultures and hit the ground running. By six months in, I had great friends and things to do in the country and felt as at home as a foreigner can likely get.

While everyones’ experience is different, I think there is a systematic way to adapt to a new country for a long term stay. I created this guide to help other travelers better adapt.

Before your flight:

Here’s what you should already have taken care of before you hop on that plane:

1. A visa – If you’re from the US/Canada or an EU nation, then you’re part of the fortunate few who generally can enter most countries on a tourist visa without paperwork. Do what you need to make sure you’re allowed into the country when you land.
2. A place to stay for the first 2 weeks – You can usually get better deals once you’re in the country and can investigate accommodations in person. Find a cheap and easy to access place to stay for the first few weeks and use it as home base while you look. I always recommend hostels as your first accommodation because the people at the front desk usually speak English and can give you advice on what to do in the city.
3. Cancel your phone plan – Local phone plans are almost always cheaper/better than what you have back at home.
4. Pack – Read my article on what to pack when traveling to a foreign country.
5. Call your bank – Make sure your bank knows you’re traveling so they don’t block your card transactions.
6. Withdraw cash – Many other countries are cash societies and you never know if your card will be declined or if ATMs will work. Keep a wad of cash with you that you can exchange for local currency during the first week.
7. Join the expat group – Almost every big city in the world has an expat group on Facebook where people frequently answer the most important questions for you. Start lurking in that group long before your trip.
8. Figure out airport transportation – That first ride from the airport to your accommodation is going to be stressful. You’ll be tired from your trip and the last thing you’ll want to do is figure out logistics. In many countries, scammers purposely flock to airports ready to prey on tired and confused travelers. Figure out the most common method of transport and use it.

In your first 24 hours:

You’ve landed and made it to your first accommodation without a hitch. Excellent. Now let’s start getting situated. 

Unless you arrive in the middle of the night I wouldn’t advise more than a quick nap before nightfall. Once you’re rested, here’s what you should do within those first 24 hours of arrival.

1. Get a SIM card – You can push this to the first week if you’re an adventurous type. These days wifi can be found in most buildings. However, you’ll want to get a card eventually as many online apps require a local phone number. It’s also nice to look at Google maps.
2. Take a walk around the block – Go and get your bearings. Which restaurants look nice? Do you have a grocery store nearby? Is there a laundromat? A gym? If you’re planning to stay long term you want to become familiar with as many different neighborhoods as possible so you can choose the best one.
3. Grab toiletries – If you’ve read my how to pack guide, you’ll know I’m against packing many toiletries. Now is your chance to go find the toiletries you need at a corner store or local supermarket.
4. Enter a crowded restaurant – Find some nice places to eat. My suggestion is to go out during meal time and see where all the locals are going. This usually will lead you to the best eateries better than any Google review could.
5. Stay up until bedtime – If you switch time zones, the jetlag will be harsh and if you don’t address it correctly it will take weeks to shake off. The easiest way to brush it back is to sleep during night time. If you are dog tired but it’s still day time, take a handful of 30 minute naps coupled with coffee until nighttime.

In your first week:

You should now be feeling a bit more at home and relaxed. Now you can start exploring your surroundings. The first week is when you’ll most want to do tourist activities so take advantage of your enthusiasm and get out there. 

You’ll also want to do the following:

1. Search for a more permanent place – If you’re planning to stay for longer than a month, you’ll want to start searching for another place. Usually the options you find on sites like Airbnb or that are targeted towards foreigners come with a much higher price tag. Ask around in that Facebook expat group about where people usually look for accommodation.
2. Attend a meetup or two – If you’re in a major city you’re in luck! There are probably hundreds of expats like you looking for friends. Go and find their weekly networking events. If not, try to go to a local class for something. If you like crossfit, find a gym. If you like dancing in the park, find a group for that too.
3. Figure out public transit – Public transit is usually straightforward in most cities although some like Buenos Aires require hard-to-obtain farecards. If you’re traveling on a budget, you’ll want to figure out exactly how this system works.
4. Get in touch with your embassy – It’s generally best practice to let your embassy know you’re in the country in case anything happens to you.
5. Remember to relax – You don’t need to schedule a dozen activities every day. Chances are you’ll burn out and get cranky after about two days if you do. I’ve always found some of the most authentic experiences I’ve ever had while traveling were when I wandered the streets looking for interesting restaurants or bars without a particular goal in mind. Read my article on 21st Century Explorer philosophy for more of my perspective on this.

In your first month:

• Find your more permanent residence – If staying long-term you should aim to get your more permanent residence by the end of the first month or the beginning of the second. I’m all for trying to find a place you feel you can stay put for a long time. It helps you get acclimated faster.
• Get some “regular haunts” – You want to start transitioning out of tourist mode and into inhabitant mode. That means getting to know people and places on a deeper level. Become a regular at a gym, bar, or cafe and start chatting up the employees.
• Stop partying every night – I’ve gone down the party hole. Especially if you’re staying somewhere like a hostel or only hanging out with other travelers, it’s easy to stay in vacation mode and live it up five nights a week. However, your body is going to give out on you if you spend over a month living like this.
• Actually start finding the groups/events you want to be part of – You should have explored the city/town a decent amount. Find activities you want to do long term. For me, I always signed up for local language classes and searched for ping pong gyms and jiu jitsu classes.

In your first year:

This list is for my long term explorers only. If you’ve decided to tough it out for a year or more, it’s time to get your roots extended deep into your chosen city or country.

1. Make two to three friends (preferably locals) you can rely on – You’ll quickly find there are some local systems that are just difficult to navigate without the help of locals. Countries are meant to be easily accessible to its citizens, not necessarily for foreigners. You’ll also feel much better knowing that someone will come looking for you if you go missing.
2. Start learning the local language – Some expats will give you a whole ten-minute monologue on why there’s no point learning the local language. Don’t listen. You’ll feel infinitely more connected to the culture and locals will immediately like you better for your attempts.
3. Know most areas surrounding your home – If you’re staying long term, you want to make sure you are exposing yourself to every opportunity possible in your vicinity. Meet locals and other long term expats and talk to them. You’ll learn some things you’d never expect.
4. Get on a schedule – As you stop living as a tourist, you’ll want to develop some sort of routine to your day. This will also help you with your social life as you’ll begin building familiarity with people around you.
5. Look into pathways to residency – If you’re really enjoying the country you’re staying in, you should begin looking into ways to live in the country legally long term. If you’re taking advantage of lax tourist visa laws you should expect the good times to end someday. Prepare adequately for when they do. Otherwise,you may find yourself heading home or unable to leave the country.