Making New Friends

Friendships are not formed easily and mostly, it takes years before you are able to take casual friendships into real close relationships. Nevertheless, even though you are leaving good friends behind at home, you could start planting the seeds of new friendships among the people around you in your new home.

Do not close your doors on new faces. You would always need other people's help especially if you are new in a certain location. The thing you should put in mind during your off days would be "no man is an island." You would need to socialize at one point in your new life. It is inevitable, so start early on.

The first people who might have direct contact with you are other expats. Though you are always exposed to others in your office, you might not have the time to chat and get to know others just yet because you are too busy trying to acquaint yourself with how things work in your new job.

Living Close to Fellow Expats

Outside your work you might find time to chat with other expats especially if you live in close proximity with them or if you have a child who goes to an international school. You might also feel more comfortable communicating with people who are also considered "foreigners" in the country you are in.

Expatriates usually flock together in one given place. They could be living in a single compound in which you might also choose to live at a latter date if you wish to do so.

Expatriate groups and gatherings are also normal so the chance of socializing with others of your own nationality is big. Even if you are not actively seeking other expats, the others would come to you especially if you stand out (i.e., if you are of a different race compared to the locals of the country).

Finding new expat friends then require little effort to none unless the country you are heading to is a high-risk location and few ever venture in its lands.

Though your initial friendships might be with fellow expats, forming relationships with locals in the future are highly desirable and ideal. If you will be living in the country for a long time to come, this will come in due time, usually by the time you are not considered that "different" anymore.

Friendships

Friendships with locals are essential because they are the only ones who could truly teach you about their own country. Fellow expats are good for theoretical conversations but if you want to hear first-hand experiences, locals will be the only ones to tell you that.

For culture-rich countries for example, those who practice their religion and culture could be the only ones who could tell you and make you understand where they are coming from.

Moving On

Before you leave from your own country, you could already start building foundations of your new social life. Tell people where you are going and they might have relatives or friends in that country that would be able to guide you and help you out.

As a "foreigner", you might have to be the one to take the initiative in talking to people because there are some who might find you too different most especially if you do not understand the language.

One thing to remember is that the willingness to make new friends is easily felt and if you act aloof towards others, it creates more hoops in building new relationships.