So uhm has anyone here ever moved abroad by themselves? And by any chance to a much smaller town?
I feel like I'm about to commit social su*cide 🥲 #moveabroad
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@Gina I have. But... I'm a guy, it was over 20 years ago, it has the same language and (broadly) culture, and the town I ended up in is 20X the size of the one I grew up in.
Not sure I'm the ideal person to ask, but happy to give advice if its useful and to give encouragement. It's a big deal. 😊
@Gina start with Meetups? Community can gather in the most interesting places.
@Gina I have never, but small towns can be more or less welcome to new people. I don't think there's a rule for it. I'd say it depends on how extrover you are.
anyway, too much variables. Sorry, I guess it didn't help much! 🤪
@Gina I can't advise but I'm in awe of your determination. I know that doesn't help per se.
@Gina I did but I'm socially awkward, so it actually worked for the better in my case.
@Gina Yes, from Munich to Zurich, so though technically what you describe I don't think it's what you were looking for. Also 19.5 years ago.
@Gina Yup, both to the UK as well as to Spain and to both smaller and larger places.
In Spain I did get some acquaintances easily enough, but not the deep friendships I was used to. Felt like they kept part of themselves "family-only".
To meet people, it helps to join a local sportsteam and/or to start doing some voluntary work in the local community. Or to get a job locally ;-)
@Gina I've only moved up in size. 15k Dutch village to 50k Norwegian city to 12+ million London. It's still not easy. Knowing folks in places helps.
@Gina
About to do the same...
I moved from Copenhagen (c.1Mn) to Venice (60k) almost twenty years ago.
Already knew the language and Italian culture well, which helped.
Never hung out with other Danes or foreigners. My friends are almost all locals.
Got married, so I'm stuck. Still here.
@Gina Not to pry, Gina, but the country and state and maybe the county all contribute context needed for an accurate answer to the "is this new place a social vacuum?" question.
@ottomate true, I would move from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to a small town on the costa brava in the north-east of Spain. 30 min from Girona and 1.5 hrs from Barcelona.
@Gina the hardest days are the first ones, until your get you balance, your space, your comfort zone, your happiness.
It will come, with time, for me personally I don't care were I'm at, i just need my wife, my daughters, my cats.
Miss them every day.
@PMFL my cats are currently waiting at my front door for me 😭😭
True, #pookieandwessie will have to come with. And then I need to find community somewhere.
@Gina yeah, three times. You'll meet new people in time. But you'll leave everything behind. If there's much you value more than the weather, it's probably better not to move.
Yes. It was shocking at the beginning. I was lonely. Than I met colleagues who integrated me in their social life and I understood that social life and rhythms are often different. We have to figure out the local usances.
