It’s scary to move to a new country and try to start a new life from scratch.
Where do we meet new friends? Do we join international clubs? What about language clubs? What if I don’t play a sport? Should I just meet people at the bars?
Most people who come to a new country don’t even know where to begin. There’s never a guarantee, but there are some ways you can improve your odds of finding a solid group of friends in the new country (or new city) you’re moving to.
Alex Sigrist, Mark Wilson, Mika (MikainKorea), and Cedric (Skycedi) break down our experiences of establishing our social networks in Korea.
Here’s a short list not from the video that should give you a head start:
1. Learn the language. It shows you have an interest in the culture of that country, and you’ll find other people who share that interest. Plus, it increases your odds of meeting people from the country you’re living in.
2. Join a club. Any club. Like sports? Get out there and play basketball. Are you a nerd? Go to trivia nights at the bars in the foreigner district. Like making videos? YouTube community…obviously 😉
3. Head out to networking events. You meet way, way, way too many people at theses events, but there’s a good chance you’ll really vibe with at least one or two people every couple of events. Get out there and do it.
And now watch this video! Each of us have a different story, so hopefully you’ll be able to relate with one or two of us and get some insights and motivation to go out there and make those new best friends.
Hopefully that helps. Cheers.
All the best,
~ Alex ~