5 Common Expat Mistakes

 

I've been living in Scotland for 6 and a half years. When I moved here there weren't blogs or books to read on moving to Scotland. I didn't know anyone who had moved abroad and so I learned everything the hard way. These are mistakes I have made myself but also I have seen expats make these mistakes time and time again. I want to help you be a little more prepared than I was. I don't want your transition to be as rocky as mine was. If I was to make this move for the first time (knowing what I know now) these are the first things I would do differently.

1. Not Doing Enough Research. You should be researching everything about your new country. No question is too small. No question is to silly. No  question is stupid. It might be to the people who know the answers but they know them because they've lived it. Go ahead and ask. No aspect of your research is too small. I've seen expats come and go here in Scotland that are fined for not paying council taxes and for not having a TV license. Why? They didn't even know about them. Research the customs in your new country as well as the everyday things. Learn as much as you can. Knowledge is power. Especially when you move abroad.

*In the UK, a TV licence is an annual tax that must be paid by any household that uses a TV to watch or record TV shows as they are being broadcast. The revenues are used to fund the BBC.

2. Unrealistic Expectations. It goes without saying (I hope) that you will be excited about your move abroad. Who wouldn't be?! What an exciting adventure! Until you get here and you relize that living abroad is very different from visiting on holiday. Be aware that it takes several months to start feeling more comfortable. I didn't say at ease or even comfortable. Just more comfortable than when you arrived. Everything will be much different than you pictured. There is a period of time you need to give yourself to come to terms with your new life.

3. Getting bored. Seriously. This happens. Before I moved here I had an Eat Pray Love experience pictured in my head. What I got was sitting in my pj's and watching TV for most of my first year. Really. Make yourself a list of things to do and things to see. Slowly check off items on your list. Make sure you keep yourself busy. Give yourself something to do.

4. Comparing Cultures. This is one of my pet peeves after living in Scotland for 6+ years. I absolutely hate it when expats move here and all they seem to do is compare their new life to their old one. They can't help it. Everything is different. But instead of using the word different they use the word weird. I don't like that word. It's just different that's all. Most expats come over here expecting to have an American experience in Scotland. They want the feelings/experiences you get on holiday. Sure you can have that but it's just going to be different because you live here. You aren't on a break from your life back home, you are living it. Stop comparing and embrace the differences. Can't find your favourite ingredient? Try a new dish with ingredients from your new country. You're going to have to live a little differently because you are indeed living in a different country. Stop comparing. Move on. Embrace the differences.

5. Restricting your social interactions with expats only. I'll go the other way too and say restricting yourself to socializing only with people from your chosen country isn't a good idea either. You need a balance. It's nice to have a few friends from your home country to converse with and know they understand what you're talking about but also it is important to make new friends and you never know, that kindred spirit could be just around the corner. You've just not opened yourself up.

There are oh so many mistakes expats make when they arrive in their new country and I'll be sharing more of those in the coming weeks. If you're an expat what is one mistake you made?

This is Crovie, Aberdeenshire

 

This weekend we had the most brilliant weather. It was literally scorching! Luis was off work on Friday so we decided to check out an old fishing village. The whole drive was on country roads. Sheep and cows dot the countryside as well as crumbling ruins of I'm sure were once cottages or old farm buildings. We caught glimpses of the North Sea on our way.

Crovie is unique. The shelf is so narrow there is only room for the cottages and a small foot path. There is a fantastic view point at the top of the cliffs that took my breath away. The peace and quiet that surrounded this village was amazing and I can't wait to go back.

We wanted a closer look so we walked down the path and a set of steep steps to get down to the village. We found a group of kids kicking a ball around and every cottage had wet suits hanging from their clothes line. We saw children climbing on a large boulder, barefoot, and then sat back on the rock and pulled out their book from their back pocket and started to read. There were more kids and parents hanging out of the dock and getting into the water.

A cute older couple stopped us to chat for a bit and I asked them if the water came right up to the path and she said it did. She told me there was a big gale the other day and the waves were crashing on her roof! Then she said, "It makes this an interesting place to live." I now have a desire to stay here for a week to experience such a thing.

There was a storm surge here in 1953 that was so large it washed away the path leading to the other side of the bay into Gardenstown. The damage to the fishing industry was so great most of the people living here just packed up and moved across the bay--leaving Crovie one of the most well preserved fishing villages in Europe. The cottages here mostly make up holiday rentals now. I am itching to stay here!

What do you think? Would you stay here during a storm?

9 Different Ways You Can Move to Scotland

The number one email I receive is about obtaining a VISA to live and work in Scotland. I've addressed this topic very briefly {here and here} many years ago. I went back and read those old posts recently and realized that they aren't that informative. Mostly because I didn't know very much about it at the time. Sorry! Times have changed and I want to share what I know with you.

I am living in Scotland on a Residence Visa. I'm the lucky one who married an EU member. We both have the legal right to live and work anywhere within the European Union--that's 28 countries! But most people don't have that option and are looking for other ways to live and work abroad.

I can not stress enough the importance of doing this legally. There is a lot of red tape but you must do it correctly or you could be in some real trouble. I've known people to arrive here and in the end they had to pack up and move back to the US because they didn't do things correctly. I can't even imagine the costs involved. If you need to hire an immigration attorney then do it. But do your homework. Dot every i and cross every t on those forms. It all matters.

I mostly get emails about obtaining a Work Visa. Those are hard to get. Let's say you're an American and you want to live in Scotland. You think you can just apply for a job in the country of your choice and this said company will hire you and become your sponsor. They will provide the funds and job to warrant a Work Visa. This is very unlikely but it can happen. Let me explain. For a company to do that they have to prove to the government why they couldn't get someone within those 28 EU countries to do the job. Let's be honest anyway, they can most likely find someone to do the job within their own geographic boundaries.

The last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from going for their dreams so I am here to help you think outside the box. I want YOU to live in Scotland!

Here are some ideas to get you to the UK::

+ Study Abroad. Have you wanted to go back to school? Well, maybe doing it in another country is just the adventure you are looking for. You can even obtain a Student Visa for just a few small courses. If you are already in school your current university will have study abroad programs where you can spend a semester in another country. Do it! You won't regret the experience.

+ Volunteer for a UK charity. This will be unpaid but a great experience if you save your pennies.

+ Do you have a grandparent that was born in the UK? Then you could be in luck!

+ Dreaming of starting your own business? Doing it in the UK could give you the VISA you want.

+ Apply for work at a Fortune 500 company in your home country. Oil companies are a great place to start. Aberdeen, Scotland is the Energy Capital of Europe {wink wink}. It may take you a few years to get where you want but some good planning could have you jet setting throughout the world on the companies dime.

+ Have you ever thought about being an Au Pair? Many busy families are looking for caregivers to help in their home and prefer someone from another country to give their kids a diverse upbringing.

+ Did you know you can obtain a Visitor Visa and stay in the UK for up to 6 months? Save your money and you can have the experience of living in the UK for a short period of time.

+ Intern Abroad. This will look great on your resume!

+ There are a whole host of Work Visas available. You never know, you just might qualify!

Are any of you planning the move? Share with us how you're doing it in the comments!

Things to See and Do in Aberdeenshire {part 2}

Balmoral Castle via

 

Two of my older sisters are coming to visit in May. I have so much I want them to see and so many ideas about what we should do. I want to share with you more of what there is to see and do here in Aberdeen City + Shire. If you're heading to Scotland I hope you will add some of these sites to your list!

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Tours::
I am not usually a tour kind of person. I like to head out on my own. But, these tours are a little different and definitely on my list. What a great way to sit back, relax and let someone else do the planning!

+ Wilderness Scotland are rated No. 1 adventure travel company in Europe by National Geographic Magazine. They are a pretty pricey but I'm sure they are the best of the best. So why not splurge and have someone else show you around the highlands?

+ Puffin Cruises offer daily sightseeing and fishing trips. They are one hour north of Aberdeenshire in the gorgeous Banffshire Coast. They have 3 hour wildlife tours for just £25 per person. Want to see dolphins, puffins, seals and birds? Then this is the place! What a perfect way to experience untouched Scotland.

+ Want to experience Scotland by motorcycle? Then you're in luck! ScotlandbyBike.com offers self guided tours and a beautiful way to see Scotland!

+ Braemar Highland Safari's offers 3-4 hr scenic drives through Cairngorms National Park {the heart of the Highlands}. They are a great price at just £30-£35 per tour. I'm all over this one!

Castles::
Aberdeenshire is home to over 300 castles! That's more castles per acre than anywhere else in the UK. Welcome to Castle Country! Listed below are the most well known castles in the this area.

Crathes Castle
Haddo House
Balmoral Castle
Dunottar Castle

Tourist Trails::
If you're looking for some help in planning your itinerary might I suggest one of these trails? They are all mapped out and ready for you to discover Scotland!

+ Victorian Heritage Trail- Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first visited and fell in love with this area in 1848.

+ Castle Trail- Experience 17 of Scotland's Castles right here on this trail!

+ Coastal Trail- Discover part or all of the route's 165 continuous miles of cliff-tops, coves, beaches, charming towns and villages, and marvellous wildlife. 

+ Scotland's National Tourist Routes- Scotland has 12 National Tourist Routes. Fancy a driving holiday? Spoil yourself, rent that dream car, book a chalet for a week and explore amazing roads like these!

ps. Looking for more? Take a look at Part One in this series.

Things to See and Do in Aberdeenshire

via

 

When planning a trip to Scotland many people head straight for the capital, Edinburgh, and then go west to the Highlands. It seems to be the course for many travellers. It was the same for us. We lived just outside Glasgow for 5 and a half years. We have been to Edinburgh more times than I can count yet I'd never made the trek to Aberdeen. Now we live here and love it! I'm here to make a plea for Aberdeenshire and why you must travel the 1 hour and 45 min north of Edinburgh and see this beautiful place.

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Things to See::

+ "Scotland’s only dedicated Castle Trail lets you discover the dramatic stories of 17 of Aberdeenshire’s most famous castles. This itinerary is organised into 4 broad areas of Aberdeenshire to group the castles around a main hub town. A visit to any of the castles makes an ideal day out or navigate your way along sections of the trail for a longer break." -Visit Scotland.com

+ One of the best places to look for wildlife is Cairngorms National Park, Britain's largest National Park and the heart of the Highlands. Or how about a trip to see The Falls of Feugh. The footbridge is a popular place to see salmon leaping!

Things to Do::

+ Why not take a costal walk that passes the impressive Slains Castle, the inspiration for Dracula, and reaches a massive blow hole and several natural arches. I'm always up for a day with a sea view!

+ Scotland is the birthplace of golf and Aberdeenshire has what you want. Trump International Golf Links is on the coast and is said to be the most ambitious course ever created. While I'm not a golfer, I have been here and it is so gorgeous!

Where to Eat::

+ The Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven is where I had the best fish n' chips of my life. I can not recommend it enough! My Mom and I ate here on our way home from Dunnottar Castle and I'm still thinking about it. It was that good. You need to make this a must on your list. FYI: This is the birthplace of the deep fried Mars Bar.

+ Farmer's Markets are regular features across Scotland. The Aberdeen Country Fair held on Belmont Street on the last Saturday of each month is the largest in Scotland. You can pick up a range of delicious produce such as local cheeses, cured meats and handmade chocolates. Will I see you there?

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There will be several more posts in this series and will include different cities too. Stay tuned!

Scotland's National Tourist Routes

Campbelltown, Scotland

 Fancy a driving holiday? Spoil yourself, rent that dream car, book a chalet for a week and explore roads like these!

Scotland has 12 National Routes for you to enjoy diverse landscapes, towns and villages. If you're planning a trip to Scotland you are going to want to check these out.

For our First Anniversary Luis and I took a road trip through the highlands. It was amazing and I'd wished I was an awesome blogger to photograph and write about it all. I have very few photos of our trip. We left from Glasgow and took a few tourist routes to get up to Thurso--the Northern most point of mainland Scotland. It was amazing!

We drove on tiny one lane roads {pictured above} nestled deep in the Scottish mountains. I remember coming over the crest of a hill and stopping the car to look down on hundreds of majestic deer. It was a site I won't ever forget. We just sat there for ages watching these deer. We started counting their antlers and trying to find the oldest one. We actually found an 18 point! It was all just incredible. We sat there for probably an hour. Just waiting for the deer to pass the road.

We drove through small villages and big cities. Any chance we got we drove the coastal routes. There is just something about the ocean that never gets old. We passed castle after castle and saw wildlife and derelict estates just about everywhere.

I would encourage anyone who is visiting Scotland to rent a car and head out on one of these routes for a few days. It is an amazing way to see this country!