To emigrate, or just move down South...

Kreeeee said:
Don't only make friends with expats or you'll miss out on 90 percent of living life abroad.

I have avoided all expat communities (except a forum for advice) and now have a great group of local friends.

Make learning the language your top priority too, as it will open so many doors that the typical expats don't get to see behind.
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That really depends where you live... Im in the largest city and after 8 years 90% of my friends are expats and I speak the local language!
 
why you are thinking about this? iceland for the reasons you mentioned.

Kreeeee said:
Don't only make friends with expats or you'll miss out on 90 percent of living life abroad.

I have avoided all expat communities (except a forum for advice) and now have a great group of local friends.

Make learning the language your top priority too, as it will open so many doors that the typical expats don't get to see behind.
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New to the thread and I can say 100% the correct choice. Harlow is the **** hole of the south, nasty place. I know many lovely people who live there, but it really is a scummy post war concrete chav paradise. With that said, the surroundings are beautiful.

Iceland has always fascinated me, sounds like you're enjoying yourself too.
 
New to the thread also but reading from the start I'm glad to see you took the plunge and it all seems to be working out. I'm hugely jealous, Iceland has long held a fascination.

Just to echo what others have said - don't enclave yourself with expats. learn the language and explore everything this opens up for you.

Have fun!
 
I'm surrounded by Family & Real good friends, I'd Never move anywhere else. :)
 
Richdog said:
That really depends where you live... Im in [edited] and after 8 years 90% of my friends are expats and I speak the local language!
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Well [edited] is a world apart from the rest of Switzerland, but I really think you miss out by not getting stuck into the Swiss way of life.
 
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I'm happy with a bit of a mix - most of my colleagues are expats so I need to build social relationships with them but of course I want to learn the language and get more involved with local people too going forward.

I just have too much to take in at work for the first few months and things back in the UK still to sort like house sales, divorce and all that boring stuff. Plus settling in here.

I'm hoping they have a local Squash club / League I can join - and as I snowboard then I'll try to meet locals through those things too.

I plan to stay here, so just focusing on sorting out all the boring things first then I can start my life here proper without any of that going on.
So I've got the initial week over - I can now be excited about the future.

Really just need my on place and my shipment/belongings then I can really start to actually settle!
 
Kreeeee said:
I really think you miss out by not getting stuck into the local way of life.
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Well I have been here almost 8 years now so I know the local life very well... and while I also speak the local language and do have some local friends I don't want to immerse myself fully in the local culture as if I were one of them, it's really not that exciting, and while the people are very nice and polite, they aren't necessarily of the mentality that I would want to surround myself with on a constant basis. I have the perfect blend of one foot in and one foot out with regards to my local interaction and that's just the way I like it. :)
 
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I think you need a balance when you're an emigrant. Learn the language, eat the food (for money reasons if nothing else!) socialise with the locals ...but it's good to have a group of friends from home to mingle with sometimes, get together to watch sports and things.

Also you can recruit people into bringing esentials back when they visit home. Branston Pickle is my weakness!
 
Iceland is a great, usual looking place, having briefly visited two ports during a Princess cruise a few years back. But those very long, dark winters would destroy me, as an SAD sufferer.

Don't forget to NOT tip any staff, they see it an an extreme insult.;)
 
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