Moving to another country is exhilarating. It’s a whole new adventure, you’re immersing yourself in a new culture, and you’re stepping away from everything you’ve ever known. It gives you a sense of freedom and accomplishment knowing you are independent and capable of making a huge change in your life on your own.
Moving to another country can also be incredibly isolating. Although your friends and family miss you back home, they don’t get it. They don’t understand the dichotomy between this exciting new adventure and the loneliness it often brings. They really don’t care about every detail of your new life and they can’t commiserate with visa or language barrier struggles. Yes, you can be grateful that you’re living abroad, but you can also feel like you’ve got nobody that understands how you feel.
Benefits of Social Connection
Now, maybe you’re not a very social person, and that’s okay! However, I find it important to build community in the places I live to help me unwind, explore, and maintain my sanity. Even one or two acquaintances you can get together with once in a while for a coffee is great. People who can help you get acclimated, invite you to an event you may not have heard of, or show you where to get the best croissant. Yes, it’s amazing we live in a digital age and our friends back home are only a video chat away, but human connection in-person is crucial for our well being.
The Decision That Changed My Year
After wallowing for a couple of years in my loneliness after moving to France, I decided to download BumbleBFF. Yes, I had my husband and his friends to hang out with, but I am also a firm believer that it’s important to have friends separate from your partner. This isn’t a sponsored post from BumbleBFF—though it should be, because I tell everyone about it—but this app saved me in a lot of ways.
I was finally able to build a community in a city that I felt I didn’t belong in for so long. I made friends that felt like home when I was thousands of miles from it and when I was going through one of the most difficult times of my life. We got together for painting and cocktail nights, planned amazing themed parties, had regular coffee dates, and chill movie nights. I went through a lot of mental health challenges last year, and I can confidently say they kept me afloat.
So if you are moving or have moved to a new city, I highly encourage you to download BumbleBFF. It goes without saying that you won’t vibe with everyone, but when you eventually find your people, you’ll be glad you did.
And then just like that, after I had formed connections with beautiful people, I had to say goodbye. I am so grateful for the life I’ve built that I’m traveling and living in different places, and it also breaks my heart to leave people that I have grown to love. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to leaving little pieces of my heart around the world, but it’s a beautiful thing.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and make friends. It can be incredibly rewarding and you will learn a lot about yourself, others, and the area you’re living in.