3 Ways to Stay Connected to Family and Friends While Living Abroad

By: Mi’esha

When you decide to make a big decision to uproot your life and leave everything and everyone you know to move abroad, you will experience many emotions. Some emotions are apart of the normal things you will feel–the thought of being a stranger in a foreign country, second-guessing if this is something you should really do, and if you will survive in a country so different from what you are used to.

Some emotions; however, will arise as a result of family and friends pushing their thoughts on you. At the end of the day, you must decide what’s right for you and put yourself first because it’s your life to live and life will continue to go on as it has whether you are 20 minutes from your family and friends or 2,000 miles away.

Of course, when it was time to pack up and receive our good wishes, everyone talked about how much they would miss us, stay in contact with us, and even visit us (which I did not hold my breath about since people talk about how expensive it is…but I digress). The sad reality is, besides talking to my mama every day, my family members here and there, people haven’t really held up their end of the bargain. In reality, those realities can sometimes become broken promises and will have you all up in your feelings and feeling salty about it.

My Experience

My first year in Cairo, I did absolutely too much trying to keep in touch with family and friends. I was constantly sending pictures and messages, trying to share pieces of my world with those I cared most about.

But to be honest, it became very exhausting. Operating on two different time zones (half of the year Cairo is 6 hours ahead of Atlanta and the other half 7) and two different work week schedules (I work Sunday thru Thursday vs the typical Monday thru Friday), ya girl was tiiieeedddd!!! So you can see why I am sharing with you 3 Ways to Stay Connected to Family and Friends While Living Abroad.

This year, I made the tough decision to not extend myself so much and only focus on those who make a conscious effort to see how I’m doing. And for the record, liking my pictures on Facebook and Instagram don’t count! I don’t always show or talk about everything that my husband and I are experiencing, so you will never get the full picture unless you reach out.

Anywho, should you be making a decision to move abroad or even to another country, here are 3 ways to stay connected to your family and friends

Use your world clock app.

I don’t know about you, but using my fingers to count what time it is back home can be a bit much. That’s why I have the locations of all my family/friends saved in my clock app, so I can always see what time it is on their side of the world. This definitely takes the guessing out of keeping up with them, especially if you’re in a country like Egypt that doesn’t experience daylight savings.

Schedule weekly phone calls.

I talk to my mama each and every day (whether that be through video chat or messages), but everyone else it’s when I have time or I’m in the mood. Scheduling a time to talk with your loved ones every week or every other week helps keep you connected but prevents feelings of overwhelmingness to check in with everyone all the time.

Download WhatsApp or iMessage.

WhatsApp is a WIFI based app that allows users to send text messages and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other media. When I tell you this app is the best thing since sliced bread to keep up with family and friends, it is. A lot of times when we travel, we either have a phone plan that costs an arm and a leg to use outside of our normal area or we have to scour to find a SIMcard. As long as you’re connected to WIFI, you can stay in touch.

I hope you enjoyed these 3 Ways to Stay Connected to Family and Friends While Living Abroad. If you’re thinking about moving abroad or even to another city or state, be sure that you follow your heart and do what’s right for you and your family. Whether you are near family or not, their life will continue to go on, just as yours will. It doesn’t mean that you love them any less, it just means that you are deciding to put yourself first.

Keep up with Mi’esha on her blog here. And check out the travel tab here for more travel posts.