Leaving your comfort zone and getting to know locals is a great goal, but it’s okay to make that a long-term plan. You still deserve friends while you’re getting settled.
Start with something small. Try “I’m thinking of trying the restaurant around the corner for lunch, anyone want to join me?” Local coworkers can help you out even if you don’t hit it off as friends. Don’t be afraid to ask “What do people do for fun in the summer around here?” or “Do you know if there’s a volleyball court nearby? I haven’t found one since I moved here. "
Arrange to meet in person instead of just using text chat. It’s much better for both language learning and forming a real connection with the other person.
Search online or ask locals to find out about music festivals, fairs, and other cultural events in advance. These are great places to meet outgoing strangers, and you might even find people looking for a carpool buddy.
If small talk doesn’t come naturally to you, prep in advance by finding something to say about local news or sports results. It doesn’t have to be clever or even interesting—it’s just a simple conversational opening. When in doubt, tell a local something you love about their country (“The food here is so good!”).
If you want to try out a craft but aren’t sure where to start, look for nearby “makerspaces” (often connected to libraries), which provide shared equipment for anything from kid’s craft projects to serious scientific collaboration. [12] X Trustworthy Source Official UK government website Official website for the public sector of the UK government Go to source
