10 Tips For Living in a New Country

Moving to a new country is just like moving anyplace, really, except for the visa and the currency exchange and the difficulty of setting up a bank account and the work permit and the fact that you can be thrown out of the country at any point for violating a set of rules that you may or may not know about, depending on the amount of research you've done. Oh, and sometimes they don't have cheap Mexican food anymore.

If that last paragraph made you nervous, never fear! I'm here with some tips for making that transition as smooth as possible.

1. Have pre-existing friends in town. If at all possible, endeavor to have someone that you at the very least know by name live in the city that you're moving to who can come get you at the airport, ride the correct bus with you, and help carry your things to your new domicile. You will be unable to express your unending gratitude for their help, but that's just the way of things.
2. Read your visa fine-print. Like, I have to go to class and show up for a "census" every semester so they know I'm actually doing what I'm here to do and I can't work more than 20 hours a week. Know what they expect from you. 
3. Explore your neighborhood on Google Maps before arriving. Where's the nearest grocery store? Pharmacy? Supermarket equivalent? Clothing store? Bus stop? Google maps can tell you all of these things if you have your address in order. As you explore the neighborhood, you'll more than likely find better answers to all of these questions than the internet told you, but when you arrive, you're going to need food, toiletries, and access to local clothing so you can dull the amount of American-ness you exude and you'll feel much more comfortable if you have an idea of how far you're going to have to go to obtain these things.
1. Also look into the location of the nearest worship center if you're of a religious bent. You'll more than likely shop around for this too, but it's good to have a place to be on Sunday morning (or whenever). 
4. Figure out your phone situation. This is the 21st century. You have to have a cell phone. There will be opportunities that you will regret missing out on because you didn't have a phone. So just go to the phone store, which you will have looked up on google maps, and get yourself a SIM card or a new phone and join the ranks of the living again. 
5. Plan your first shopping trip. Think of this ahead of time so that your jet-lagged self can still make it happen. This trip will include items like:
1. TOILET PAPER. TOILET PAPER. TOILET PAPER. You will forget this and it will make you miserable, so just write it down at the top and repeat it to yourself at the store.
2. Shampoo, conditioner, body-cleaning stuff, razors, hand soap. Do your best to find the brands that feel like what you had before- it's good to smell the way you're used to smelling.
3. Bedding, towels, dishes, cutlery, cleaning supplies. (Laundry detergent is something you're going to forget to buy and laundry is important, so put it on the list.)
4. All your food basics, including salt, pepper, sugar, butter, and those other cooking essentials that you had in your previous cupboard but didn't carry across the ocean with you. 
6. Go to the bank. Just, as soon as you can, get that process started. If you're in a university town, go to a branch a little farther from campus. All those poor children are also trying to open their very first adult bank accounts and you don't need to wait through their lines.
7. Have a good friend come visit you. Another thing I know that's not always possible, but if the world gives you the means, bring a familiar face into your life. There's always skype/gchat/FaceTime, but those options are only a substitute for the real joy of being in someone's presence.
8. Keep busy. Keeping your mind occupied helps keep the realization of the absurdity of what you're doing at bay. Maybe for you that means getting a job or volunteering or getting involved in an organization outside of school/work or planning travel, but whatever it is, fill up your days. Even if you're not a people person, getting out of the house and meeting people is the best way to go about your first few months anywhere. Say yes to everything until you're settled enough to start saying no again. 
9. Allow yourself to break down too. As much as you'll want to land on your feet and hit the ground running and all of that stuff, acknowledge to yourself if to no one else that this is a big step. It's hard on a body, regardless of who you are. So on that third Thursday afternoon in town when you're struggling through this visa problem or that application difficulty or you've collapsed to the ground because you can't remember your address even though you've lived here for almost a month, just take the time and set down that weight that you've been carrying and order pizza. It'll be good for you, I promise.
10. Make an accent decision. Are you going to try to assimilate by using the local slang and speech patterns or are you going to hold true to the words you're used to? I think an argument can actually be made for either, especially if you're going to sound like an idiot trying to sound like the people around you. I'm personally a fan of the slow assimilation of common phrases, but, as I've been told, it's all a matter of how much you want to stand out. Cheers.

Bonus tip: Make a budget and then stop looking at the exchange rate because it'll just make you sad. Just, so sad.