How to Find an Apartment Abroad

Figuring out where you will live once you move abroad is tricky, especially when you're searching through the internet from another continent.

No doubt finding a flat when you are hundreds, maybe thousands, of miles away can be difficult and a bit dodgy. Obviously, you want to live somewhere you'll be comfortable, but making a major investment in a flat you've never seen is risky, to say the least. To make matters even more complicated, in order to get a visa, you must have housing arranged for a full year.

It's not easy to navigate this obstacle, but here's what I did and what I recommend to those moving abroad for the first time.

1. So, you need proof of accommodation for your visa. You can't move to your new home without your visa so this is your priority. The first thing you should do is book a dorm room in the city for the length of the visa you're applying for. Make sure it's reliable with good reviews, better yet, is a dorm affiliated with or recommended by your university. But you want to make sure you are able to back out of your contract at any time with one month's notice. If you're moving to Prague, I recommend Zietraum Residence. I personally didn't stay here, but I had a few friends that did and it was the nicest dorm I saw in the city by far.

2. Now you can relax a bit because you have a place booked for the next few months and you know you can't end up homeless in a foreign city. But living in a dorm isn't for everyone. f you're someone who would rather live in a flat or a house, once you've arrived in the city you can start searching for your dream home, without the pressure of a time limit. What I did was live in a dorm for one semester while I made friends at school and once we had gotten to know each other, we decided to go in on a flat together.

3. Once you've found a new place you'd rather be staying, submit your letter to terminate the dorm contract and proceed with all the adulting that goes into getting a flat!

Other options to consider:

• Flatshare: Flatsharring is a great option if you're not sure you want to move in with any friends or if your friends are already situated in their housing for the year (or if you don't want to risk your friendship over roommate disagreements). Most cities have a few different Facebook groups for flat-sharing, you can join and go see a few until you find the perfect flat and housemates. I only don't recommend this as where you will stay first for a few reasons. First, since flat-sharing is mostly among students, it's not always planned far in advance when they will be leaving so it may be hard to find a place that will be available for the dates you need far enough in advance to get your visa. Secondly, since you can't view the flat or meet your flatmates in person in advance, you can't be 100% sure what you're getting.

• Purchasing a flat: this is not realistic for most people but if you or your parents want to make an investment in foreign property, this could be an option. I know one girl whose family did this for her and she lived comfortably there for her whole degree.

Good luck house hunting!

xx Liza

Edited by Sophia Pedigo

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Making Friends in a Foreign Country

Between language barriers and cultural differences, making friends in a foreign country can seem daunting, but is actually arguably easier than in your home country.

This is probably one of my most commonly asked questions, and to be honest, I was a little surprised the first time I was asked how I made friends here in Prague because it never seemed to be any different than any other situation. I made most of my friends at my university; in class, in common areas, at parties, etc.

My university, Anglo American University, is fully taught in English, therefore, every student at my school is fully fluent in English, so there has never really been much of an issue as far as language barriers.

What about cultural differences? I honestly think it makes things more interesting. If you're someone who finds different cultures, languages, religions, histories, etc. fascinating then you'll easily be able to strike up a conversation with anyone in the international/expat community.

Why do I think it's easier to make friends abroad? Because anyone who is willing to make the big move to live in a foreign country is going to be like-minded individuals, so you're more likely to share common interests, like travel, language learning, or adventurous activities. Plus, being in an international environment is endlessly interesting, every time you meet a new person you learn something new and have a unique experience.

What if you don't have uni to fall back on? If you have a job, get to know your coworkers! And if you have no other outlet, Facebook groups are amazing! In every city, there are "Expats in ...." and "Female Expats in ...." Facebook groups you can find and meet English-speaking expats and immigrants. And if you don't feel comfortable with Facebook groups, try signing up for clubs or activities in English, try English taught yoga classes, running clubs, book clubs, rock climbing, etc. Just try not to do anything too touristy like a one-time cooking class or beer tour cause all you'll meet are people here for the week. Lastly, for those of you not shy to just walking up to other English speakers you hear and introducing yourself, try hanging out in known expat places. In Prague, it's places like the Globe bookstore, AMaze Tchaiovna, and Vzorkovna (Dog Bar).

There are more English-speaking people out there than you'd expect. Making friends in a foreign country is just as easy as anywhere else, if not easier.

Don't stress, you'll be a-okay,

xx Liza

Edited by Sophia Pedigo

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Dealing With Homesickness Abroad

Living abroad comes with endless perks, but even with all the benefits, you're still half a world away from family and that can be hard.

I'm not gonna lie, I don't really get homesick. Of course, sometimes, but when I rarely do, it's not very severe. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and I miss them dearly, but I don't often get caught up in it. Maybe it's just me or maybe it's my ADHD causing me to struggle with object permanence. Plus, I've lived away from home for more than three years now and Prague feels more like a home to me than the US at this point. What I'm trying to say is that I'm probably not the best person to be writing this, but I'm going to try.

Nevertheless, here's what I do to help curb any potential homesickness.

1. Call my family, a lot. I go through times when I call my mom every day; at the beginning of the pandemic when I was bored in quarantine, it was twice a day! FaceTime is also nice, but I find that if I'm seeing them it actually makes me more homesick and I start longing to be back in my childhood home. (I guess it kinda is the object permanence thing)

   1. If a phone call doesn't do the trick, I watch a movie from my childhood. Something about being wrapped in a comforter watching Harry Potter or the Lizzie McGuire Movie makes me feel at home.

   2. I also love baking family recipes. I keep a few of my mom's best baked goods recipes on hand for whenever I miss the smell of home.

   3. When I'm missing a food I can't bake on my own I go to the American grocery store and pick up some American foods, like Fig Newtons or Goldfish.

   4. My parents were big gardeners so I also keep some plants that were in my garden back home on my windowsill and it keeps my room smelling like home.

   5. Or, if you're like me and doing all these things just make you even more homesick than you were in the first place, ignore it until it goes away. Okay, that sounds like awful advice but it's what got me through my first semester! Don't dwell on what you miss from home and rather embrace the best aspects of your life in your new home! Romanticize the fuck out of your life! Go out with your best friends and have a picnic in a field like the cottagecore princesses you are! Or buy a baguette to hang out of your tote bag as you walk around the city looking like a Y2K Parisian icon! Or, my favorite, book a $50 flight to Italy, or Spain, or Turkey, or wherever for the weekend because you couldn't have done that if you still lived in the US!

This might be awful advice, this might be great advice, I really don't know but I hope it helps someone! xx Liza

Edited by Sophia Pedigo

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