The stages of settling in a new country (and why the dip is normal)
Excitement, frustration, adjustment, belonging: knowing the stages of migration makes the hard months easier to carry.
Almost everyone who moves abroad goes through a similar emotional curve. It rarely feels that way from the inside: when you are struggling, it is easy to believe you are the only one.
1. The honeymoon
Everything is new and exciting. New streets, new food, a sense of a fresh start.
2. The dip
After a few months the practical problems pile up: paperwork, language, loneliness. Many people feel homesick, irritable or tired. This is the stage most people don’t talk about, and it is completely normal.
3. Adjustment
Slowly, routines form. You find your favourite shop, a few friendly faces, words that come more easily.
4. Belonging
Eventually the new country becomes one of your homes, not instead of where you came from, but alongside it.
If you are in the dip right now: it is a stage, not a verdict on your choice to move.