I have studied and lived abroad three times in my life. Through those experiences, I could give many pieces of advice, but today I will only talk about three.

The first is to say yes and be open to new experiences. It can be scary living abroad and you may face uncertain situations. It is normal to be scared and worried about your language capabilities, but it is not an excuse to not accept invitations to events. When I lived in Japan, I was invited to many events and my answer was always YES! One such event was a lion dance in a small town. I was invited by a local Japanese person to come to their town and do the lion dance. As I packed my bag I realized I had no idea how to dance, or if I would be able to understand their explanations. To be honest, I didn't know what I had gotten myself into by agreeing to drive 2 hours to a rural village in the mountains. I can honestly say though it was one of my most memorable experiences in Japan. The people were so kind and patient teaching me and my friend the dances and after the dancing they held a big feast. Sometimes language isn't necessary for enjoyment. I went in with an open-mind and heart, so I could really just enjoy the event. Other people in my town did not say yes to any invitations, instead they stayed home in their apartments every day. They ended up complaining and leaving after only one year.

My second piece of advice is to make mistakes. Mistakes are so important for learning, and no one expects you to understand all languages and cultures perfectly, in the place you are living. When you make a mistake, don't get upset or feel shame, instead take it as a learning experience. I have made many mistakes living abroad. The funniest one is probably when I accidentally told a French woman that I had checked my testicles instead of my email that morning.   In the French language, the two words are close, so my mispronunciation of the word lead to her laughing hysterically at my mistake. To this day, I do not mix up those words. That mistake made me aware of the difference. 

My third piece of advice is to take care of your mental health. When you live abroad it is normal to pass through the stages of culture shock, which include euphoria, anger, depression and acceptance. Living abroad is extremely challenging, and sometimes it can be too much. That is why it is important to have a support network that you can talk to, as well as awareness about your mental health. Before you move abroad, make sure you know what resources are out there to help. Plenty of countries now have online counselling services offered in multiple languages. There was a British woman who committed suicide in Japan just a few weeks ago, and no one knew she was struggling. It is totally fine to have negative thoughts about the country you are living abroad in. It can get annoying that every process is made more difficult with language and/or cultural barriers. I know in Japan, I got frustrated at how hard it was to get help at the bank for a bank transfer. When I entered the bank, all the tellers ran away and ignored me. When I went to the doctor I was told it was the wrong doctor and kicked out of three clinics, eventually crying as I walked home since I couldn't find someone to help me. In Canada, no doctor would ever turn you away, so I was shocked at how little doctors cared. I was lucky I had a lot of great friends nearby that I could talk to about my frustrations. I also had regular therapy sessions. So, just know that if you need help when living abroad, it is not weakness, but bravery that makes people reach out for help. It is ok to ask for help when you're struggling. 

Those are the three most important pieces of advice I have for people who want to study or live abroad. I hope that they help you have a great time living abroad and make the most of your time!