For me friends are a key essential for a successful stay in a new city. When I find like minded people that I enjoy spending time with, I tend to explore the city way more and I am just happier in general.
A lot of you probably know how difficult it is to make new friends, when you just moved to a new city. Especially if you have a full time job and don't know when you will be out of the office during the week.
During university and school, making new friends wasn't as difficult. Due to being in the same class and already having contact, it was easier to hang out with these people after school. Making friends at that time was no problem. My social calendar was always full.
But once you start "work life" it becomes difficult. In Hamburg it was okay, as some of my Highschool friends and my boyfriend (now ex) were still in there, but here in Düsseldorf, I don't know anyone except for my little sister.
Due to the long work hours I didn't have many possibilities to meet other people outside of work. I have tried to hang out with my colleagues after work, but I realized that most of them already have a close circle of friends. In most cases these are school friends and boyfriends.
Furthermore, I like to keep my work and private life separate. I am not sure if you have noticed it, but when I am around work colleagues, I tend to talk about work. And this was something that I didn't want. When I am off work, I want to not think about it.
So I set a goal to find friends outside of work. :) And thanks to the internet, I found a few ways to reach this goal:
1) meetup.com:
This online platform lets you register for free and you can sign up for certain groups that interest you. I for example joined the Düsseldorf Expat group as I enjoy meeting new people from different cultures and because I prefer speaking English over German.
Furthermore, the posted calendar gives you an overview of events that are taking place in your city. So if you feel like doing something next Friday, you can click on that date and see all the meetups that are happening that day.
2) Facebook:
I barely meet people that don't have Facebook. :) Well, why not use this social media platform to meet new people. Here you can search for certain groups in you city. For example, for Düsseldorf I looked for expats in Düsseldorf and found a "new in Düsseldorf" group. When I just moved to Düsseldorf, I attended the Halloween Party and let me tell you, I was scared at the beginning, as I did not know anybody, but at the end of the night, I was the happiest girl in the entire club. I had such a good time and it was great meeting new people and listening to their stories.
3) Girl Gone International:
Yes, I am a GGI and I am proud of it. When living in Hamburg, I came across the GGI group online and since then I always look for the GGI group in the new city I am in. I like that only girls are in this group and that it is very international. However, here in Düsseldorf I was a little disappointed as the girls that attended the meet up that I went to, were abroad for 6 month and already considered themselves as a GGI.... Maybe my standards are just too high.
4) Sports:
Most of you know what a sport freak I am. But it is not only about fitness and health for me, but also meeting new people. In Hamburg I was part of the NIKE Club der Töchter group and every Tuesday after work, we ran around the Alster. I really enjoyed being around people who shared the same interest. Running crews are the best! You can travel with them, explore the city running with them and they will not think you are a freak, as you love to run every day :)
As you can see, there are a lot of different ways you can meet new people in a new city. But although there are so many possibilities, you have to have time and guts to go there by yourself. Be open and embrace this new experience. Cause friends can make a new city unforgettable :)
xoxo
M
A lot of you probably know how difficult it is to make new friends, when you just moved to a new city. Especially if you have a full time job and don't know when you will be out of the office during the week.
During university and school, making new friends wasn't as difficult. Due to being in the same class and already having contact, it was easier to hang out with these people after school. Making friends at that time was no problem. My social calendar was always full.
But once you start "work life" it becomes difficult. In Hamburg it was okay, as some of my Highschool friends and my boyfriend (now ex) were still in there, but here in Düsseldorf, I don't know anyone except for my little sister.
Due to the long work hours I didn't have many possibilities to meet other people outside of work. I have tried to hang out with my colleagues after work, but I realized that most of them already have a close circle of friends. In most cases these are school friends and boyfriends.
Furthermore, I like to keep my work and private life separate. I am not sure if you have noticed it, but when I am around work colleagues, I tend to talk about work. And this was something that I didn't want. When I am off work, I want to not think about it.
So I set a goal to find friends outside of work. :) And thanks to the internet, I found a few ways to reach this goal:
1) meetup.com:
This online platform lets you register for free and you can sign up for certain groups that interest you. I for example joined the Düsseldorf Expat group as I enjoy meeting new people from different cultures and because I prefer speaking English over German.
Furthermore, the posted calendar gives you an overview of events that are taking place in your city. So if you feel like doing something next Friday, you can click on that date and see all the meetups that are happening that day.
2) Facebook:
I barely meet people that don't have Facebook. :) Well, why not use this social media platform to meet new people. Here you can search for certain groups in you city. For example, for Düsseldorf I looked for expats in Düsseldorf and found a "new in Düsseldorf" group. When I just moved to Düsseldorf, I attended the Halloween Party and let me tell you, I was scared at the beginning, as I did not know anybody, but at the end of the night, I was the happiest girl in the entire club. I had such a good time and it was great meeting new people and listening to their stories.
3) Girl Gone International:
Yes, I am a GGI and I am proud of it. When living in Hamburg, I came across the GGI group online and since then I always look for the GGI group in the new city I am in. I like that only girls are in this group and that it is very international. However, here in Düsseldorf I was a little disappointed as the girls that attended the meet up that I went to, were abroad for 6 month and already considered themselves as a GGI.... Maybe my standards are just too high.
4) Sports:
Most of you know what a sport freak I am. But it is not only about fitness and health for me, but also meeting new people. In Hamburg I was part of the NIKE Club der Töchter group and every Tuesday after work, we ran around the Alster. I really enjoyed being around people who shared the same interest. Running crews are the best! You can travel with them, explore the city running with them and they will not think you are a freak, as you love to run every day :)
As you can see, there are a lot of different ways you can meet new people in a new city. But although there are so many possibilities, you have to have time and guts to go there by yourself. Be open and embrace this new experience. Cause friends can make a new city unforgettable :)
xoxo
M
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