Moving to the other side of the world can stir up lots of different emotions. The excitement you first felt can be slightly dampened as you realise that your friends and family are indeed, thousands of miles away.
If you’d become used to a regular latte with your old school friend or a daily call to your parents, the thought of that no longer happening now you’re camped out in Sydney or Wellington, could heighten feelings of loneliness and homesickness. Thanks to modern technological advancements, the world, in terms of communication, is indeed shrinking.
Not that long ago, telephones were the only means of communication, along with snail mail, but with the internet common place and social media prevalent, there really is no reason why family and friends should feel neglected at such an important time in your life. There’s no reason either that you shouldn’t keep up regular contact with your nearest and dearest. Here are 6 tips on how to stay in touch.
1. Get online: Social media is a fabulous way to keep up with friends and family and there is so much to choose from:
– Facebook – Allows you to upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. Go to https://en-gb.facebook.com for more information.
– Twitter – Allows users to send and read short 140-character messages called “tweets” as well as send pictures. Register at www.twitter.com
– Instagram – Enables you to share photos, taken on your mobile phone. Check out www.instagram.com
– Skype – Talk for free and live to family and friends with this video and voice service. You – just need a webcam and a good internet connection.www.skype.com
– Blogs – Writing a blog can be a great way to update people about what you’re doing on daily basis, upload photos and describe your day. Look at www.wordpress.org
2. Decide who to keep in contact with: Keeping up with your parents or siblings may be a number one priority, but how often do you want to speak to them? Is it important that you talk to your mum every day or can once a week work? Best friends too might want regular updates. Time differences can make things tricky, so see www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ for exact timings.
3. Identify how you’ll ‘talk’ to everyone: While your 17-year-old niece might be happy with a quick Facebook update or a photo on Instagram, someone else might prefer a call or an email. It is worth showing an elderly relative how to use Skype, or if you both have iPhones, FaceTime, before you go. It will save them money in the long run and they’ll quickly see the benefits.
4. Prioritise the contact: With the opportunity to be constantly updating your status on each social media site it would be easy to lose entire days on the web. Organisation is the key. Set aside 30 minutes a day to talk to friends, update Facebook and ‘Tweet’ pictures. Planning will give a sense of routine and make you feel less isolated.
5. Invite people to stay: You live in a new, exotic location and your friends and family do not. Many people will relish the chance to explore a new tcountry and with somewhere to stay, the costs will be relatively low. Check out low cost fares to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa at www.travelsupermarket.com or www.skyscanner.net
6. Don’t forget the special occasions: Remembering anniversaries and birthdays, and keeping on top of the latest engagements and baby’s being born is important if you want to remain part of the ‘gang’. It’s easy to send special cards with sites such as www.moonpig.com who deliver to UK from the US, Australia and Europe.
PSS International removals is a family run company and our desire is to ensure your family receive a friendly, professional and stress free overseas move. We have specialised in international removals for over 32 years, so whether you are planning on sending a full or part household removal, excess baggage or a vehicle we recognise the importance in ensuring that our customers receive the same level of care and attention that we would expect ourselves. Contact us now for a free estimators survey, online moving and baggage quote.
