Are you thinking about moving abroad all on your own? Really, that’s one of the most interesting choices a person can make in their life. For one, you’ve got the option of exploring completely new surroundings, without any social constraints. You don’t know anybody, and you’re free to move wherever you want to. But at the same time, you’ll probably also want to make some friends after a while. That’s why we’ve got a couple of great ideas on how to make friends after moving to a new country right here! Take a look below to find out what they are.
Where to start
So, you’re in an interesting situation. You’ve finally taken that leap of faith and completed your international relocation. And certainly, at first, you’ve got a huge incentive to make as many life changes as possible. You’ve got that drive to join a gym, maybe find local Dubai Personal Trainers, start to eat more healthily, etc. But after some time, you’ll realize something; if you haven’t made any friends in your new country, you’ll be missing an important aspect of your social life. So, the question poses itself – how do you correct that? Well, after moving abroad, meeting new friends can be something akin to dating. No matter how stressful it may be at first – and it will be, seeing as you’re heading into the unknown – you need to persevere.
The practicalities
Don’t be afraid to try and connect with some new people that you meet, if you take a liking to them. Try to remain in contact with them, and see if a genuine connection forms. However, as cold as this may sound – if you definitely want to make new friends, you need to approach this with a systematic mindset.
In other words, you can’t just wait for people to meet you and make friends with you. Especially if you’re a foreigner in a new country, that just isn’t likely to happen. Instead, you need to constantly put yourself in social situations where you’re likely to meet new people. For example, find a good trainer if you choose Zumba, or start learning some martial arts instead. Maybe you can take up playing an instrument in a local band? All of these options may seem silly at first, but they’re bound to land you some new company.
And these are just suggestions; crucially enough, you mustn’t be afraid to pound the pavement and start organizing events yourself. You need to feel the confidence and freedom to call up absolutely every single person you meet in your travels. Only that way will you be able to say with certainty that you’re likely to make new friends after moving abroad. Have you played The Sims? Well, then you know that if you want to meet new people, you have to invite them over and have a party! These are some socialite basics, really.
Call everyone
As we’ve mentioned above, if you’re going to definitely make some new friends after moving abroad – you need to be confident in yourself. That’s the only state of mind which will allow you to thrive in completely new social situations and circles. Otherwise, even if you meet new people, you’ll just end up introverted and miss out on social opportunities; at the end of the day, you won’t meet new people after moving. But where do you begin, really? First of all, no matter how low on friends you are in your new country – there must be someone you actually know.
And this doesn’t have to be a particularly good friend of yours, mind you; a passing acquaintance is enough. Call them up for a cup of coffee – or whatever drink is culturally acceptable where you currently are. Then, ask them to invite some of their friends over. After all, these days all people in the world are basically separated by only a couple of different degrees. In one swoop, you’ll both make a friend out of an acquaintance, and get the chance to meet some new friends as well, expanding your social circle in the process.
Living a social life
Okay, if you want to have a social life and make new friends after moving abroad, it’s not just about having a social life – it’s living a social life. In other words, it’s not enough to just call some people up a couple of times each week. Instead, you need to constantly surround yourself with people, preferably locals. Other expats aren’t likely to have as many friends you can meet, and you won’t be able to immerse yourself in the local culture just by hanging out with them. Though, if there are people from your home country living there, you may hang out with them when you start feeling nostalgic.
Nevertheless, the question is – how do you constantly surround yourself with people, while also maintaining your personal schedule? The answer to that is simple – living with roommates. Sure, if you’re living in the suburbs this may not be as viable, but if you’re living in the downtown area of a city, this is a great idea. Not only will you meet their friends, but you’ll also form an extremely close kinship with your roommate. There’s really no better friend you can make after moving abroad.