As it so happens, most of us are likely enough to never move overseas during our lifetime – even though a large number of us will dream about it throughout our whole lives. When it comes down to it, there are just so many complications involved that the whole thing can begin to seem impossible before we’ve even gotten out of the planning stage. After all, it’s no small task deciding to move to a new country. It often involves us leaving our jobs, our families and pals, and also all of the familiar things which we’ve managed to become deeply used to (and often quite comfortable with) up to that point. The things which we often depend on for our sense of security and wellbeing. Aside from all of the normal stresses, trials and tribulations of transferring our entire lives over to a new land, there are a dozen or more additional hardships thrown at us by the complex grind of the moving process itself. All kinds of documents need to be attained, mountains of paperwork need to be filled in, and much more. Adapting to a new country can easily be enough of a stressful business that many of us find ourselves desperately searching for any sign of the familiar in order to give us a continued sense of being “rooted” and to help us from sinking into what can often seem like the chaos which accompanies our new land. So what is the real key to helping us feel established and comfortable in our new home as quickly as possible, rather than miserable or oppressed? Well, firstly – we need to focus on what we do have under our control after our move. For most of us, that one key thing is our home. Our home is our own personal sanctuary from the chaos and confusion of the outside world. It is the place where we can retreat and be the “king” of our own little domain when everything else seems to be flying out of control. Most importantly, perhaps, our home is (or should be) that one place where we can always feel at ease and among the familiar, no matter what may be going on in the rest of our lives. So, what is the absolute top tip for quickly and easily establishing that sense of security, comfort, and control, in how we organize our homes after an overseas move? What, more than anything else, really makes that essential difference?Add the “familiar touch” First thing’s first, try and keep a good level of continuity between your old home and your new one. You certainly don’t need to completely model your new home after your old one (and in all honesty you probably don’t want to, anyway) but it’s nevertheless important to keep some of that “familiar touch” behind. What this means, is that you should try and match the parts of your old home which made you feel at ease, comfortable, rooted and happy, with your new home. If you had a special way of arranging the seating in your living room, or a certain kind airfreshner that you always used, then try and re-create these things in your new home. It will go a long way towards making sure that you keep that same element of familiarity and security, despite being in new lands.