Internship 2022 : Making friends after moving to a new country
Moving to a new region or a new country brings with it a number of challenges, from discovering and adapting to certain cultural peculiarities to finding a place to live; but perhaps building a social circle can be the most difficult challenge of all. In this article, we share some tips for meeting new people in new places.
Making new friends in a new country as an adult can be even more challenging. Not only are you looking to form a connection with people you don’t know, agree on schedules and even almost compete with established friendships and routines.
An additional factor to consider when trying to make new friends is language and cultural differences. Of course, knowing the language always helps, but if for some reason you don’t know the language of your new residence, smile and be friendly to others; listen when people are talking to you and, of course, be considerate of the people around you.
One of the benefits of living in a new place is that you can always meet people who are also far away from their homeland, so joining expat groups will help ease your transition. However, it is also not recommended to only spend time with other expatriates, as you may eventually feel isolated from the locals and thus find it difficult to get to know and integrate into your new place of residence.
So your first task is to get out of your comfort zone – friendships don’t happen overnight, but if you are persistent, your efforts will be rewarded. Making new friends is a bit like dating. You have to take a chance, take a risk and don’t be afraid to always take a positive attitude, as you never know who you will meet or where the experience will take you.
For example, if you are invited to join a new group of people at a restaurant, a local event or outing during happy hour, or anything that sounds completely unfamiliar, your first reaction may be hesitation or the idea of declining the invitation. But, these are the kinds of situations where you should give yourself a chance, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Make use of social media. There are many platforms and applications available online that provide
opportunities to meet new people.
provide opportunities to meet new people. You can join Facebook groups that are full of people who share similar interests and may live in the same area. Meetup is a platform that hosts many location-based social networking groups and opportunities.
You can also find new friends through a book club, sports club, hiking club or any other interest group that interests you. Or if you’ve always been interested in learning something new, take the opportunity to sign up for that dance or art class you’ve always wanted.
Participate in language exchange events – there are many locals willing to practice a new language, so this is an opportunity to share knowledge, have fun and meet new people.
If you have free time, donate your time and join your neighbourhood association or volunteer, by doing so, you are contributing to the host society and at the same time meeting new people.
By making new friends with locals and creating new memories, you will have a much more positive experience in your new place of residence. Making and keeping new friends may seem overwhelming, but if you think about it, you have already shown your courage and determination when you took the plunge and moved to a new country. So meeting new people should be the easy part!
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