Before You Go: What To Do Before You Leave
Deborah Swallow | May 17th, 2010 in : culture shock & stuff, expat advice, General
So, you are off on a new adventure! You’re moving abroad. 
You’re going to explore new cultures, do new things and meet new people. However, living or working in a completely different culture can leave you feeling a little homesick. Here are a few tips of what to do before you go to help you acclimatise.
Do Your Research!
First, search the internet for articles on your destination. The unfamiliar is a little less scary when you know it’s coming. So do your research before you travel.
Search out expat blogs that really give you a flavour of the issues of day-to-day living to find out what the country you’re travelling to is really like. Look into the customs and traditions that run through their culture and make notes of anything that is absolutely taboo. Try Country Reports for cultural insights.
You’ll want to get an understanding of any support you can get in your area and whether there is someone to call on for help. Get in touch with your embassy and ask them for a list of business networks, chambers of commerce and other informal organizations you could hook up with before you leave. It’s always good to have a couple of warm leads before you move to a new place. And if you’re on Facebook, why not join one of the many travel and destination groups?
Once you have made some connections, start asking questions about how easy it is to mix with locals; what was it like for them when they first moved in; what one thing would they do differently if they had the chance – you know the type of thing. Try and learn from their experiences.
Expat advice on various countries can be found 
on this expert site: http://www.expatarrivals.com/
My other articles related to culture shock can be found here:
The Stages of Adjusting To A New Culture
Before You Go: What To Do Before You Leave
The Classic 5-Stage Culture Shock Model
Rhinesmith’s 10 Stages of Culture Shock
Advice For Expats Moving to the Arab World
Tags: before you go, moving abroad, what to do
Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets. 
this post is very usefull thx!