It’s hard for most people to not feel homesick and alone when they move to a new country. Speaking with your friends or family over the phone or social media can only help so much. Making friends in a new country might not be as hard as it seems. A good majority of us take the decision to move abroad either to work or to study.

A good place to start is to take references from your friends, family or colleagues back home if they have a relative or a friend who works in the same country as your new one. Try to get in touch with any relative who may already be living there so that they can help you get to grips with the city.

While traveling to your new home, you might come across different travelers who are nationals of that country. Try and strike up a conversation with them to learn about how the locals live there and a general overview of the laws.

Keep a lookout for city brochures when you travel by metro and also surf the Internet for upcoming local events. Choose the events which interest you. This can be a great way of getting to know people with similar interests as yours.

If you’ve moved to a country with a diverse culture and a high expat population, you can always visit the dedicated websites that most of these communities run to help your transition to your new home.

School going children can be an unusual source of contacts and network building. If you have a kid who goes to school, encourage them to bring their friends home. This way you will get to know your child’s friends parents.

People who have an active lifestyle usually have better luck finding new friends as you can have different places to meet new people. Try to strike up a conversation at the gym or if you run into a fellow jogger on the street.

Always remember to be careful and not disclose too much personal information to new people. Meet in public places multiple times before you invite a friend over.

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