Dear Newbie!
Welcome!
This letter has been written for all newcomers to Luxembourg. Know someone who has just moved here? Why not share this letter of encouragement with them! Dear expat,Welcome to Luxembourg! Where do I even begin?! I thought that maybe one of the things that I could share with you is my own journey and how I found the whole settling in process...I arrived in Luxembourg in August 2015. (Not a good month to arrive by the way..I soon learned that the whole city seems to take a vacation in August) I found a job within 3 weeks of looking, bought a car and started exploring this little country. In all honesty, it took me between 12 -18 months to really enjoy life here and get settled so if you are still finding it hard, keep persevering, you'll discover so many little things about this country that make it great!!
Life as an Expat
I've lived 3 years as an expat before moving to Luxembourg so it had become part of my nature to explore and seek out things to do. When you don't have you immediate family and close friends with you, you have to make your own fun and being an expat in Luxembourg is no different. This place rewards those who are curious and those who are open minded so stay positive and keep looking for new ways to get involved.
Sports & Activities
If you are struggling to make friends, a great way to meet new people is by taking up a new sport. There are various sports groups like Ultimate Frisbee, cricket club, tennis (I take lessons at ESTESS and love it!), rugby and football are also great to get into and if you love a kickboxing or fight class I love the Krav Maga Centre.
Languages
Whilst most people here speak English, the official working language in Luxembourg is French. Most people speak French, the local people really appreciate when you speak a few words of Luxembourgish with them. If you think you might be staying here for the long term, it is worth learning Luxembourgish. Alternatively, if you think you will move around Europe, French is a good option too. A good way to meet more people is also to take lessons at the INL (Institute de Langue), they are really affordable here because the government subsidise most of the cost.
Stay Positive!
The most important thing about moving to a new country is to stay positive and be open-minded. That's the secret to settling in anywhere! This may not be a big city but it has a lot to offer for such a small country. Take it all in and make the most of all the things you have here that are unique here.
Mark your Diaries!
There are some dates that you should mark in your diaries as dates which are really important and unique to Luxembourg. They are also a great time to have friends and family come to visit as the city parties hard and you won't have to think of an agenda about what to do with your guests.My favourites:Urban Trail: 22nd April (www.urban-trail.lu)ING Marathon: 12th MayDuke's Day (also known as National Day): Saturday 23rd of June (that means the city will be partying on the Friday 22nd June)Blues & Jazz Rally: 29th JulySchueberfouer: 23rd August - 11th SeptemberChristmas Markets in the City (dates differ for markets all over the country): 23rd November - 24th December
