Three days ago it was the forth months anniversary of my deployment.

It kind of shock me to think about it, because the months flew by without me realizing it. Looking back, it feels like I have been living here since forever and I love every day I get to spend in the Community center. The work is going smoothly and the days are busy with many activities, I am learning so many new skills I didn’t even know I wanted to learn, like using a camera or building a website and it’s a great experience so far.

Since my arrival, the biggest challenge has been the process required to apply for the residence permit, which is always one of the first struggles everybody needs to face when reaching a new Country. The language barrier, the different regulations or sudden changes in the process create always a lot of stress and confusion which is important to put into consideration before reaching a new country.

This are my suggestion to avoid it, even if it is not always possible:

1.  Get prepared. Read, check website, consult expats FB pages, ask people who already went through the process before you. Make sure you know how the law and regulations work in the Country you are going. Don’t be unprepared, knowledge is power.

2.Apply through an agency. It’s a bit more expensive, but you are paying for expertise that will be very useful in slimming your chances of getting a headache.

3. Be patient. When dealing with very bureaucratic Countries, put your best smile on and be kind, respectful and ready to receive a negative answer, which in many cases will happen if the person on the counter doesn’t know or doesn’t speak your language.

4. Be grateful for the learning experience and don’t be judgmental. If you come from a Country that’s very efficient and you are moving to one that doesn’t have the same level of efficiency, take it as an amazing opportunity to experience a different side of the culture of the Country you are living in. Culture is not only nice food, great music or smiley people and adapting to a new culture is also getting to leave the difficult parts as well as the good.