Family Adventures: Ensuring a Successful Pre-Assignment Trip Together
The decision is made, or it is close to being made. You are relocating internationally to take on a new position, and you are now in full preparation mode. There’s a mix of excitement and apprehension for what lies ahead. To help you prepare, your company has generously offered you the opportunity to go on a pre-assignment trip to see where you will be moving, so that you do not start your new position sight unseen. They have even offered to fly your family over, so that they can also become familiar with where they will soon be living.
In this article, we will present you with a series of questions to consider when thinking about a pre-assignment trip. The answers to these questions will vary depending on your personal situation. As a result, we feel strongly that it is not our place to be prescriptive about whether or not you should go on a pre-assignment trip or in giving you the “musts” of a visit. Instead, we invite you to take time to wrestle with what is best for your family at this time. Our desire is to help you to make well-informed decisions and to make the most of your opportunity to visit where you will soon be living and working.
What is the purpose of your pre-assignment trip?
Business Goals
You may want to start by asking your employer what a pre-assignment trip typically looks like. Some companies plan highly structured visits with an agenda filled with meetings, visits and checklists. Others will offer more freedom for you to try to accomplish what you wish. So ask for clarity on what you can expect. You may also want to think through and present ideas for what you would like to accomplish during your trip to see if they are realistic. Below are a few ideas of what you may want to see take place during this time.
Perhaps you want to see the offices where you will work and meet future coworkers face-to-face. There is something to be said for meeting in person with those who you will be working with while stationed abroad. Meeting other expat teammates can also be an opportunity to ask them questions about their family’s experience while living internationally.
Logistical Goals
You may be hoping to get an idea of what real estate looks like in your destination country. You and your family have grown accustomed to a certain standard of living in your home country and want to see how things compare where you will be moving. What options and what will it cost you to live similarly in your new location?
You may be wondering about the education options that will be available for your children and you would like to visit the different possibilities. If this is the case, you may want to ensure that you find out well ahead of booking your trip if it is possible to take school tours, and meet teachers, administrators and even students.
It is also important to get a feeling for the commute between your work location, housing options, prospective schools, and leisure time activities. What is the expected mode of transportation for yourself, and for your children? You may find that your family rhythm during the week and/or weekends will be significantly different from what you are accustomed to now. To know this in advance, helps you prepare.
Social Goals
If time allows, you may want to see what (social) activities are available for yourself and your family. Perhaps you and your family members are currently involved in sports, music, play groups, or any number of activities. Will you be able to continue in those activities once you move or will you need to find new activities as a family? Will your children have less, similar, or more freedom during their leisure time in the host location?
As a consequence of your move, you will physically separate yourself from your support system. Once you live abroad, your family will experience new dynamics when it comes to social activities such as couple’s date night (where to find a babysitter?), birthdays (how to celebrate far away from family?) and cultural celebrations (are there groups that could celebrate with you?). Of course you will establish new relationships with locals and other expats while living abroad. Connecting with international communities in preparation for your pre-assignment trip, and potentially attending an activity or meeting up with a representative from such a community can provide helpful insights into what will be your opportunities and challenges while building a new life abroad.
What else might you want to find out about while on your pre-assignment trip? Make a full list and ask your employer what they think about your goals for your visit.
What are your, and your family members’, expectations of the pre-assignment trip?
A well-planned pre-assignment trip will answer certain questions, hopefully many of the most pressing ones. It may also bring more questions to the surface that you did not even think to ask. There is a certain amount of ambiguity and unpredictability to an international move that cannot be answered until you have made the actual move and have started to establish roots on foreign soil. So as with many things in life, it is helpful to go into your pre-assignment visit with clear expectations, but to also hold onto them loosely. Don’t panic if your trip does not meet all of your expectations as this is normal. And remember, many families have successfully moved and thrived internationally.
Often, parents highlight tourist attractions and other cultural aspects of the foreign location in an attempt to enthuse their children for the benefits of life abroad. Or, your children may identify all sorts of places they want to visit during your family’s pre-assignment trip. You want to avoid that their enthusiasm turns into you having to say No because there is not enough time. Instead, encourage your children to make a list of the places they want to visit after your move. You could even go as far as allocating future evenings or weekends for special places such as a nearby theme park.
How can the pre-assignment trip be a bridge-building experience?
If you choose to go on a pre-assignment trip with your children, consider how you might help them bridge the life that is awaiting them to the one that they currently have. Below are a couple of ideas of how you can help them build connections between their present and future:
How will the pre-assignment trip impact your children?
There is great value in going on a pre-assignment trip with your children if you have the opportunity. The reality is that no one knows exactly what the impact a pre-assignment visit will have on children, because it is different for everyone. For some it might bring reassurance, while for others it might stir up some level of fear. Regardless of how it impacts your children, your trip will offer you the opportunity to process the experience with them, which in the end is the best outcome.
Remember, as you prepare to move internationally that you and your children are embarking on a journey that will lead you through periods of transition, and a huge part of moving through transition in a healthy way is to process your experience together. We advise having multiple family conversations about the move in the context of your family’s pre-assignment trip: before, during, and after the pre-assignment trip. By sharing your experiences, emotions, and feelings with one another, you are showing and validating for your children that it is okay to have a mix of emotions and responses about your family’s upcoming international adventure.
Need help?
We understand that there is a lot to consider when moving your family to a foreign location. Through our Family Support Services, we can be of your assistance every step of the way. Schedule a Discovery Call if you want to learn more about how we can support you.
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