has no place in the industry and if you accept a job with a company that does this then you are condoning their behavior.

iii. Destination Unknown.

Ask yourself: why did you pick the country that you did? What were the reasons? Get a sheet of paper and a pen and quickly write down 8 to 10 of those reasons. What, having a hard time with it? Then stop! There is no reason for you to go there. If you are having a difficult time stating your reasons then you do not have the proper mindset for the endeavor.

Wrote down the reasons in 60 seconds flat? Good. Now, write down what could go wrong with all those reasons. For example, maybe you want to go to Korea “to experience their culture.” You wouldn’t think much could go wrong with that one, but there are plenty.

Korea
1. Experience the culture. - (Negative) the culture could become tiresome, tedious, penetrating, nerve-racking, and prejudicial.

Continue down the list until you have written some negative aspects for every positive one. This exercise is to remove some of the delusion that is common for a person who is considering becoming an expatriate.

Complete the list and then ask yourself if you are still interested. If your answer is yes, then you can expect an adventure of a lifetime. You will also be ready for when things go wrong and not fall to pieces when they do.


iv. All aboard.

There is a 95% probability that you reach your new location via the air – whether it be by helicopter, hot-air balloon, or airplane. Your ticket will be cheaper the earlier you can make your reservation before your departure. There are various types of air tickets out there. Of course, try to find the best deal for you. If you can, meaning you have the finances, get a 1 year open-ended ticket. This ticket will be your Ace when it’s time to go.

There is a lot of debate as to whether one should purchase a one-way ticket or a roundtrip (return) ticket. A sound exit strategy forecasts that money will be tight, and that any money that you may have will be needed to put food in your mouth. A round-trip ticket is the way to go. It will give you less of a headache and more piece-of-mind, albeit less cash in your pocket.

Chances are also that you will be traveling for more than 6 hours. Choose your air carrier wisely. Saving $60 dollars, but losing 15cm in seat width is not worth the trade-off. Consider spending a bit more money for some added comfort if you’re expecting your travel time to be in the double digits. You will arrive in much better spirits and without any additional physical ailments that could lead to a disastrous first impression.