5 Ways To Make Friends When You Move To a New Country

Travelling solo is almost the norm these days. Everywhere you look there is encouragement to take the chance and travel on your own. There’s lists, tips, and all sorts of tricks on how to go about it. I love travelling on my own and I could easily fill pages about why it’s such a great idea and an amazing experience, but instead I want to address something lacking in this area.

How to make friends when you move abroad solo.

Moving abroad solo is one of the best decisions you could make! But figuring out how to make friends in a new country can be a bit overwhelming. In many ways working out how to make friends overseas is in many ways the same as if you were to move somewhere else in your own country, but it can seem more stressful.

When you’re travelling most people you meet are in the same boat (sometimes literally). They’re travelling as well and open to opportunities. You put yourself in so many easy situations to meet people, like making friends at hostels or in tour groups.

In contrast, once you’ve taken the leap and decided to live abroad, you’ve chosen a country and made the move and explored a little, the excitement can start to wear off. You’re not on holiday and going home soon to your well-established network. This is your home now and you need to build an actual life here. But something is missing…

Friends!

Many people you meet when you move abroad have friends already, they don’t need you. Harsh, but true.

So what do you do to make friends when you move abroad?

Making new friends when you move is a bit like dating. You have to put yourself out there, try and form a connection with new people and stay on their radar, and hope that something comes of it!

It sounds cold, but I think you have to be systematic about making new friends when you move abroad. You can’t sit home and wait for friends to come to you. You have to be out there, pounding the pavement, messaging, calling, organising, meeting. In the same way you do when you’re travelling, you need to put yourself in the right situation.

Nerd alert: If you’ve ever played The Sims you know for your social wellbeing you have to make friends and to do that you have to invite people over, have a good party, call them on the phone etc. If you don’t your Sim gets sad. So play the system when you move abroad, and top up your social meter with the tips below.

  1. Table of Contents

    • 1 Hit up everyone you know and their friends.
    • 2 Live somewhere social
    • 3  Go to a meetup group.
    • 4 Join a club
    • 5 Be brave, and always say yes.
    • 6 So you met some people, now what?

    Hit up everyone you know and their friends.

Do you know someone in your new country? Get in touch! Maybe it’s been awhile, but it doesn’t matter. Meet for a coffee or a drink and have a chat. You can get the low down on some good places to go, and maybe reconnect as friends, thus opening yourself up to meet their friends.

In a world that’s apparently separated by only 6 degrees of separation, you can see if anyone you know knows someone in your new home. It doesn’t matter how remote the connection, if they’re willing to meet you, then it may or may not come to something.

  1. Live somewhere social

It’s not for everyone, but I would suggest moving into a flat with at least one other person. Flat hunting is a bit like dating these days too! Try and find someone like-minded, who might have travelled or moved abroad too.

Flatmates can become friends, or at the very least, people you can talk to at the end of the day! Failing that, try to connect with neighbours, and check out what local events are held in your area.

  1.  Go to a meetup group.

So many people find their partner online now, and you can find friends there too!

Meetup is a great site that you can join to find out about social events in your area and meet with new people.

When I moved to Edinburgh I joined Meetup and found a group for girls who had moved to Edinburgh from elsewhere. I went to their monthly meetup in a bar one evening and I ended up meeting some great girls, and a few I kept in contact with that are now great friends!

When you travel you make friends fast, I think because of your mutual circumstances, and these groups are a chance to put you in that kind of situation.

  1. Join a club

If sports is your thing, it’s a great way to make friends. Find out if you can join a casual team if your area.

If sports isn’t your thing, what is? See if you can find a group that matches your interests. The power of the Internet means a quick google search can point you in the right direction! Or use Meetup as above.

If all else fails there are usually expat groups around, and while these generally mean quick friends, it’s nice to try and branch out as well. Don’t be one of those people who only spend time with people from home! Yes you’re still meeting new people and they can be great but I think it’s so valuable to meet people from different cultures. You travelled for a reason right?

  1. Be brave, and always say yes.

It may sound easy, but making new friends can be scary. Speaking with anyone doesn’t always come naturally to me, but I’ve learnt the rewards outweigh my nerves so I try and go for it as much as possible, and now that I’ve have so much practice it’s easier.

So you met some people, now what?

If you’ve managed to meet people through any of the above, the next step is to keep putting yourself out there.

Don’t wait for a message to meet them again, be the one to send it.

Don’t wait to be asked what you’re doing on the weekend, be the one to ask or put the idea out about organising something.

On the other side of the coin, always say yes when you are invited or asked to do something. Even if you’re tired, even if maybe it’s not really your thing, at least you can have a different experience! If you say no, you might not get another chance to say yes.

People are creatures of comfort, they stick to what they know. Making new friends takes effort, and sometimes without realising it, people aren’t so open to having someone new come into their lives.

I know after travelling I was much more open to meeting new people and making new friends. After I’d been on the other side and realised how hard it can be to “break in” to a social group, I become more free with my invitations. Hopefully, you can strike someone like this somewhere in your new home, and if you’re not travelling or living abroad yet, maybe you can be that person for someone else.

Have these tips helped you? What’s your experience with making friends when you move abroad? 

If you liked it, please pin it!

ways to make friend when you move abroad

Sonja x

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

25 Fun Things To Do In Havana Cuba (Highlights & Hotspots)

Image
Best Things to do in Havana, Cuba Havana, Cuba The city of Havana is known for its old architecture, classic cars, live music and tasty mojitos. Here are some of the best things to do in Havana that you won’t want to miss! In recent years, Cuba has seen some major changes as the United States finally eased restrictions on travel. More and more American’s are now visiting Cuba than ever before, and tourism has been on the rise — for good reason! Only an hour away from Miami by plane, Havana is a fascinating blend of old and new, vintage cars and colorful, (often crumbling) infrastructure; Cuba’s energy pulses with a mix of Spanish colonial architecture, booming nightlife and kitschy art galleries. For a small city, Havana seems to have an endless list of things to do catering to every kind of traveler. Maybe you’re a cigar aficionado or simply looking for some R&R, Havana has something to offer everyone. This guide is completely free! I’ve worked hard putting it together
Read more

Exploring Kolmanskop: Namibia’s Ghost Town in the Desert

Image
I ducked beneath the barrier and jogged across a nearby sand dune. When I reached the first derelict building, I looked behind me and shot Dave an exhilarated grin. I’ve been a rule-follower for much of my life, but I was learning that disobeying authority was kind of invigorating. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. There I was, standing in the centre of a Namibian ghost town, surrounded by desert, and Dave and I were the only people around. The town was dark, eerie, and foreboding; the only sound the thudding of my heart and gentle crunch of sand underfoot. I took Dave’s hand in mine, crept forward a few feet, then ducked into the abandoned remains of somebody’s home. We had driven 1,500 kilometres (1,000 miles) out of our way to get here, and on Namibia’s bad roads, that equals a seriously big undertaking. With just two weeks to see Namibia’s highlights, we had packed a ton into our time so far — easing into the trip in Ovita, three days of rhino-spotting in Etosha, gazi
Read more

Trinidad Cuba Travel Guide: A Beautiful Colonial City

Image
Exploring the Best of Trinidad Cuba Trinidad, Cuba Trinidad is Cuba’s best preserved colonial city, a unique mix of 1850’s architecture & 1950’s cars that feels frozen in time. Check out some of my favorite things to do in Trinidad. Trinidad was one of the first Cuban towns founded by the Spanish, growing wealthy from production of sugar cane, cattle, and tobacco (with the help of African slave labor). The town’s newfound wealth funded extravagant palaces, plazas, and colonial homes for rich plantation owners. Much of the architecture remains, one of the best-preserved historic towns in North America, becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trinidad Cuba has become one of the most popular cities in the country for travelers, outside of Havana of course! You can walk down cobblestone streets, listen to live music in the plaza, cool off with fresh sugar cane juice, hop into a horse-drawn carriage, chat with locals, or visit fascinating colonial museums spread about town.
Read more