Living abroad, far from your family and support system in Canada, your local friendships become an essential part of your life. Friends make life richer and more fun. And it’s important to have people you can rely on if you find yourself in difficult situations.
However, making friends as an adult is difficult and it can be even more difficult abroad where there may be a cultural or even a language barrier.
Here are three tips to make friends as an adult in a foreign country.
1. Get out of your comfort zone
New friends are unlikely to appear if you just sit around waiting for them. You need to step out of your comfort zone and accept that you will have to work at meeting new people and building new friendships.
There are a number of things you can do to meet new people: go knock on your neighbour’s door, join a club, take a class, volunteer at a non-profit to meet like-minded people, or use an app.
Find a place where you are likely to meet people that you would want to be friends with and have an excuse to chat with them. It can be scary to put yourself out there. We’re all afraid of rejection. But you’ll find that most people are looking for connection and that having friends in your life is worth feeling a bit uncomfortable from time to time.
2. Find a Canadian community
If you live in a country where you don’t speak the local language, you might feel like you can’t just go out and meet people. While I believe that there are ways to overcome this hurdle, at first you may feel more comfortable around people who speak the same language as you, share the same cultural background, and understand what you are going through.
In that case, you should find a Canadian community. Your local MFS centre is a great place to start. Even if you are in a remote location, they can put you in touch with other Canadian military families nearby and where there are funds available you may have the opportunity to organize meetups (reach out to your local MFS team for more information).
You can also look beyond military communities and find other Canadian families living nearby. A good place to find them is through Facebook or perhaps local clubs or organizations.
3. Meet the locals
While making friends with people who share your experience can be comforting, having friends from the country you are living in can make your OUTCAN experience that much more enriching. A local friend will be able to show you their country in ways you might not have discovered for yourself. They will know all the best restaurants, the most beautiful hikes, and the most interesting places to visit.
While the language and cultural barrier can be scary, you’ll find that most people are willing to make an effort to build connections.
Perhaps you could also take a language class. It will help you feel more comfortable in your new home and is a great place to meet people and build friendships.
After all, the best part of living abroad is learning how other people live and discovering a new culture.
Making friends in a foreign country will definitely take you out of your comfort zone. However, it is worth it. Friends, both local and Canadian, will help you live your OUTCAN experience to the fullest. So take the leap, go meet people, and build yourself a new network.
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