By Ellen Harris, GMS, Living Abroad, LLC What are some of the biggest challenges when moving abroad? Much of it depends on how different your host country is from home, but here are a few common ones....
Joining a local club or organization can ease transition to a new country while alleviating some of these challenges. Club membership helps by:
Most major cities around the world host clubs of enough variety that nearly everyone can find one of interest. Cities of any size that have an expatriate population often feature newcomers’ organizations. Even residents of small cities should be able to find a local group – some are even created by the company or industry for which people relocated.
You can start by looking for local chapters of international organizations, such as Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, or Toastmasters. Any of these can offer direct continuity with previous home country membership activities.
Other groups are formed by a specific nationality, but often are open to all. Examples are the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO) and British Women’s Associations.
A large city like London is home to clubs for Americans, Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders, among others. In smaller cities like Doha newcomers will find associations for Dutch speakers, Francophones, Scots, and Irish.
All manner of sports clubs are found around the world, as are amateur theater and musical groups. Societies promoting gardening, art, motorcycles, cooking, computers, volunteer work, cars, literacy, and collecting all manner of things are a few more examples.
These clubs can provide opportunities to try something new, especially an interest that didn’t exist in the home country. Or a career professional who finds him- or herself unable to work in the host country now has free time to devote to a new pursuit.
Some newcomers with a particular passion even start clubs of their own.
National groups hosting online platforms are also useful to their citizens abroad, such as Brits Abroad and The Canadian Expat. Sites like these provide networks and forums that help connect and inform expats of a shared nationality.
A club provides benefits beyond its stated mission. Membership can help you build a bridge toward understanding and involvement in your host country. It can also link you to others in similar situations while broadening your knowledge and experience. Friendships and interests that develop in the club setting often extend beyond it, enriching one’s life in the new host country.
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