Pre-expatriation

The word Expat. Lately, not a day goes by without this word crossing my mind. I ?officially? became an expat about 3 months ago.

Touchdown in Changi Airport, this was also my very first time entering the city-state of Singapore. On a personal note, it has always been a great desire and ambition to gain experience and perspectives and to broaden my horizons from new shores outside my home country of Denmark. For that, I am grateful to have received this opportunity and to have it unfold in a place many like to call an expat paradise.  

Before deciding fully to follow our gut and whole-heartedly saying ?yes? to a tempting adventure, my partner and I,  of course, knew it would involve huge commitments of all sorts. 

Commitment is an important keyword here ? and many other serious scenarios to discuss and agree on before any final decision was taken. Many of these decisions one can only fully understand when being exposed and out there in the deep, open waters.  

But it is safe to say that the contract securing us a spot abroad was signed without much hesitation, and we were thrilled by the thought of a new chapter arriving soon. 

It was, without doubt, a joyous occasion that also called for much celebration.  

The decision was made, and not long after, something shifted entirely in me. I was more than happy to realise a dream of mine ? but at the same time, all these unfamiliar emotions began to show.  ?????????????????

Expatriation as a natural next step

I would like to think of myself as a seasoned traveller. Many childhood summers were spent visiting grandparents in China, Shanghai. Further, being brave enough to embark on solo travels already at age 18, all the way to Cairns in Queensland Australia, made me embrace being on my very own for the first time and literally just diving into it ? while also obtaining my open water diving certificate. 

After a whole month of adventure Down Under, I went on to spend half a year in Lyon France, as a fille ?au pair? living with a French host family.

All this and more led to the beginning of my personal journey of fascination with the world around me ? the big and colourful world surrounding my tiny hometown of Copenhagen. 

Since then, I have collected and completed multiple internships abroad in connection to my studies, countless solo travels, volunteer work, and job-related activities that required extensive amounts of time away from home. Some might say these longer periods are ?samples? of living aboard and qualify as being an expat to some degree ? I have personally never looked at it that way. I have never referred to myself using the term ?expat? before arriving in Singapore this year, and it?s still something I am trying to wrap my mind around. It?s an interesting thought and deserves a whole chapter to itself, I would say.  

 

Back to the subject of being well-travelled. Despite spending vast amounts of time away and abroad, willingly, this was unsettlingly different. I was highly aware of these unknown feelings presenting themselves. Especially, thinking to myself, 

Copenhagen is my home ? my birthplace, the backdrop of my childhood and adult life, what happens next?

This is and will stay my past (which is still a bit odd for me to acknowledge), and nothing will change these facts, but only now do I realise some major differences between long-term travelling, whether it being a few semesters abroad or a few months backpacking, and full-on expatriation.

As of now, I have a new hometown, my return point when booking a return flight is new, my country code is different in front of my new mobile number, and I have to notify family and friends of a new postal address so I can continue to receive postcards from back ?home?. Everything is new and rather different. And naturally, to exercise full commitment to the new place I will be calling home and these new personal particulars that come with it, I had to relinquish some Danish ties.

This marked a point of no return for me.

Practically speaking, it was not a complex procedure ? hardly a procedure at all, it just took a few clicks and a digital signature, and all of a not-so-sudden, I was no longer part of the Danish system, so to speak. I was later reassured that it wasn?t as big of a deal as I imagined it to be. 

Nevertheless, for a moment I felt left out and strangely ?homeless?, and I had never felt this way before.  

 

Train the positive mind

Luckily, there were countless new beginnings to look forward to. And this was ultimately the trade-off for us; undeterred by having to relocate from something we held so dear, a charming and beautiful capital, well-known for its liveability, solid economy, picturesque spears, and its unique Scandinavian spirit, we knew great and valuable experiences, growth and memories to make were not far ahead.  

To summarise the first phase of pre-expatriation: It has been a true rollercoaster ride, to begin with. I have intentionally left out any visa-related and bureaucratic experiences since this has proven to be a real battle in itself. From what I have gathered from fellow expats, both other first-timers as well as serial expats, nothing has been anything out of the ordinary, if anything quite the classic and expected highs and lows.  

My advice to myself, and others thinking about expatriation, would be, to focus on having the right mindset. I know this can seem trivial, but never has it been more important for me to train a healthy point of view 

 

"When your mind is weak,  

Situation is a problem.  

When your mind is balanced,  

Situation is a challenge.  

When your mind is strong,  

Situation becomes an opportunity."  

- Unknown  

 

Being and thriving as an expat anywhere is a great accomplishment in itself ? whether near or far from home. In my case add to that a brand-new foreign country: Singapore. A place I sincerely look forward to getting to know better and explore. And for the first time, with an entirely fresh outlook; I?m here to create, to grow, and to discover. 

For the time being, there is no return ticket. Instead, there is a peculiar abundance of opportunities and lessons to immerse oneself in. I have promised myself to always strive in wanting to thrive and to find comfort in an uncharted setting. I hope to succeed. And to succeed in this new chapter in a story that is untold and unimagined, yet, that is ever so thrilling and fulfilling for now.  

Therefore, let me end this first trail of thoughts with the next big question:  

What does it mean to succeed as a (first-time) expat?

I wanted to mentally prepare for the upcoming expatriation but didn?t know what or where to look for advice. Expat Advising?s services are for you, who want to be proactive but don?t know where to start.