From A to Z

Expat success is a jumble of many factors but I believe none is more important than having a good friend base and social life. What is better at connecting and rooting you to your new home than having people to share it with? We have met some great people, so how did we do it?

1. Stay Motivated: If there is a group of people motivated to meet new people, it is Expats. There is no use in telling you to get motivated because you are likely polishing your best ice breakers and go-to stories in preparation, long before you even get to your new host country. The trick is to stay motivated while you are there otherwise all that hard work in the beginning is for naught. Stay the course Sailors and Sailor-chicks!

2. Start Before you Move: I am no stranger to making friends on-line much to the Boy's dismay. When I learned we "might" move, I started trolling the internet and came across blogs and forums and other forms of personal experiences. I reached out to several women in the blogging community, all willing to help and meet me upon my arrival. To this date I haven't attracted any psychopaths selling me on a "6 Minute Abs" video, so I still use it as a networking tool with great success.

3. Put your Fear in a Corner and Slap it Around: We are all afraid to a certain extent of rejection or failure so the thought of having to make a whole new group of friends can be daunting while producing a good deal of fear. This is especially the case if you are an introvert, but if there is ever a time to get out of your comfort zone, it is when you are an Expat. Tell your fear to look the other way and then bitch slap it. It may yell back "no one puts Fear in a corner!" but you can just walk away knowing that as an Expat, you are having the time of your life.

4. Join Something: You all know by now that my something was Intensive German Class, but it can be anything group oriented. Do you like knitting or cooking? Well then find a class. Have you always wanted to bring out your inner Mother Theresa but never had the time? Well then find a volunteer organization. The sky is the limit and through my something, I met some really great people and formed friendships.

5. Broadcast your News: Before we came over, we told anything that moved of our plans. We were excited and while I garnered a good deal of strange looks while talking to squirrels and the cashiers at Publix about our big move, a great deal of connections started popping up as a result. One neighbor in Atlanta alone connected us to 8 people in Zurich. Pretend you are a walking "Toastmasters Club" and network yourself, the results can be rewarding.

These 5 simples strategies have made for a busy social life and one that is very fulfilling. It requires a bit of effort but it is all well worth it because as I have mentioned before, home for me is where my heart is. When I learned we couldn't go to Atlanta, I got a BBQ together and it turned into one of my favorite nights here. Not only was the weather beautiful and the food awesome, the fact I had new friends to get over not seeing my old ones was a great comfort. So get yourself out there!

Any other tips for making friends in a strange new land? Any success stories you would like to share?