Being in an international relationship can sometimes feel like learning a new language. It requires a level of communication, sensitivity, understanding, patience, and sometimes frustration. Here are some things to learn from being in an international relationship.
1. Be Patient
This is a major one. Being in an international relationship can be a really fast paced experience sometimes. Your partner, their friends and family, and even their culture, are all new to you and this can be really challenging to understand and accommodate.
You can be frustrated and feel out of place, but being patient will help you get to know them and their culture. Don’t get angry about it. Just be patient and talk about everything that bothers you. And calling Cuba via an app can be a solution if you’re in a long-distance relationship.
2. Ask for Their Point of View
Many times you will learn from the things that they tell you. It can be frustrating when they tell you they feel like you don’t understand them or they don’t understand you.
Don’t ever think that you know best – be open to asking for your partner’s opinion and listening to what they say. Sometimes your own opinions will differ, and you’ll need to accept things that you don’t agree with or that are different from what you might have wanted.
3. Understand Your Partner’s Culture
This might sound like a really strange statement, but understanding how their culture works is one of the most important parts of being in an international relationship. This might require some reflection, some reading, some talking, and maybe some traveling, but it is very important.
Their culture, more than just their language, is the most important part of who they are and you really need to understand it if you want the relationship to work.
4. Don’t Use Stereotypes
I’m always amazed at the stereotype that many people seem to have when it comes to being in an international relationship. Stereotypes are bad – they lead to a lot of misunderstanding and often prove to be untrue. Thus you should stop looking at things through a prism of stereotypes in your relationship. I’m sorry but it’s just not okay.
5. Be Open to Trying New Things
One of the best ways to learn from being in an international relationship is to try new things. You may not be able to understand everything right away, but don’t give up and always ask. You never know how much you might learn if you make the extra effort to ask.
6. Make Sure You Are OK Before You Jump in
This is really important! If you are going to be in an international relationship, you need to make sure that you are OK with that before you jump in. Being in an international relationship can entail a lot of education, and this often requires you to travel and learn new things.
It is important to make sure that you are really ready and that you have the time, money and energy to dedicate to being in an international relationship.
