Hello, newbie to the city! In this article you find suggestions to find new friends in your new home town. We have all been there, don’t be shy!
Check out Facebook groups
Look for “expat” groups on Facebook by easily type “Expat -name of city or country-“. You will probably find plenty of them and they will provide general information about living in that place.
If you have a specific hobby (hiking, cooking, cycling, etc) you can use this as a search word. Are you a parent? There must be a parenting group in your new town! The same goes for life styles such as eating vegan or organic, and your own nationality might have their own group as well.
In some countries Whatsapp groups also work really well. Ask around if there are some about topics you care about.
Always say yes!
This one helps a lot to get yourself out there. Let’s say a colleague is inviting you to join a dinner or other networking event, say yes! Even if you don’t know anyone there (yet), this is a great opportunity to meet new people.
Once you are there you can always return home if you really don’t like it, but especially at the beginning of your stay say yes to as many opportunities as possible. It will help you increase your network, get to know the town and just get you out of the house.
Sports and hobbies
What did you like doing at the former place you lived? Ask around if they have the same kind of clubs and meetings in your new place. Most towns do have a book club, football club or hiking get together.
Join local events
The Facebook events option is a good one for this, but you can also check Instagram (find some accounts that share events in your area), Internations or even Couchsurfing for this. There might be a potluck get together, festival visit you can join or something like clothing exchange event.
Look for a language club
We can’t write this blog without mentioning the benefits of a language club. You don’t only meet new people (from the country and the rest of the world), but you can also practice your language skills and learn about the culture of the country. On top of that you will discover new cafés and restaurants in your town.
If you’re in Accra you are welcome to join Language Café Accra!
