Straight answer: Do not expect a new country to feel like home after one week. Study the language every day, keep at least one personal anchor such as sport, a channel or another hobby, and tell your parents when things are difficult. Constantly comparing everything with your old school can make the new country look worse even after life has become manageable.
What would have helped my younger self
- An anchor: school plus one personal project; mine became the channel and our house or farm
- Connection: internet—Starlink in our case—is a bridge to old friends and learning, not just a luxury
- Honesty: you do not have to repeat that everything is fine every five minutes
- Parents are dealing with moving stress too, and it helps to remember that
Do not copy my route one-to-one. Take the principles instead: language, an anchor, honest conversation and some emotional buffer.
When it feels difficult
Write or speak to someone you trust. Staying silent because you do not want to burden the family often makes things harder for everyone.