Using Blogs and Forums After an International Relocation
Obviously it can be difficult transitioning to a new culture after you have moved internationally. You may have a sense that you are all alone in this new world, and it can be extremely overwhelming. However, you might be excited to find out that you are not alone. Millions of people made the same decision that you have, and left everything to move to a new land. Thanks to the technology that we all use every day, it has never been easier to communicate with people that share your experiences. One place to begin the search, is with blogs and forums.
The internet can be a wonderful place where people come together and share their life experiences for everyone’s mutual benefit. When it comes to blogs and forums, there are slight differences between the two. A blog is usually written by one person, and is almost an internet diary. They share everything that they are experiencing by typing out their day, and posting it on a personal website. While there might be comments on a blog, you will mostly only hear about one person’s story. A forum usually has a topic that a number of different people can comment and share on. Think of it as a blog with no story and all comment section.
The Difference Between a Blog, and a Forum
The benefits of reading blogs is that normally, if the person in question has been blogging for a while, they do a good job of explaining their feelings through type. It is actually a skill that is quite difficult and cannot be done by just everyone. You might get a daily, weekly, or monthly report on how their days are going, and the trials and tribulations that they have faced, but it will most likely be very in depth. The comment section is regulated by the author of the blog, so they can delete any comments that are negative or off point. This way, you know that you will stay on topic. This being said, you may find that the author does not share the same experiences that you have, so while the stories are in depth, they may not totally be relevant to your situation.
A forum is nice because you are hearing from a variety of different people, so chances are someone has experienced something similar to yourself. It is easier to interact with a variety of people, and you can cope with any problems that you have by talking with a number of people. The downside is that the comment section may be littered with articles that are off topic, are advertisements, or are outright lies, because they are not regulated as strongly. It is beneficial to get the opinion of a lot of different people as opposed to just one, but make sure that you are taking these opinions with a grain of salt.
The important thing to remember though is that there are other people out there that share your feelings and concerned. There is no better way to communicate with those people than the internet. Whether you choose to comment on a blog, post a message on a forum, or both, you are certain to find someone you can confide in, which will help you get through any sense of loneliness that you may feel from moving into an entirely different culture than you are used to.
