A Wonderful Journey of Living as an Expat
The first thing that came to mind when I decided to move abroad was excitement. It was a little chaotic when I first arrived since I had to find a new place and do a lot of paper work for my residency. But the excitement was beyond the chaos that happened. And since I didn’t know many people, I spent the first several months of my life there mostly with my co-workers. I did not really know how to make new friends with random people. It’s really confusing when you wish you could have more friends locally in your new place, and do not know how to make it happen. But I always love to meet new people, so I decided to join several communities in town. Most of them are communities for empowerment and voluntary work. Yet, I barely found people from similar professional backgrounds, until one of my friends introduced me to InterNations.
InterNations is where I met a lot of expats that had already gone through what I had recently faced in the beginning of living abroad. Also, it has so many amazing events at nice venues. One of my favorite groups of InterNations is the green action group where we did a lot of city cleaning and sharing knowledge about how to live in a more green way. And other than that, I also did a lot of voluntary work with my other communities. And there was one day after work, when I realized that I have been so blessed to be able to make a lot of friends from many different backgrounds and learn a lot from each of them while also being in service for others, and enjoying life with many amazing events. That is when I realized I belong there.
As an expat, most of the time, it is hard to make a lot of new friends in a new place, because most of them do not know how. But where ever you are, first of all, let yourself explore the situation and environment around you. And start to learn what kind of communities are available there. That is the fastest way to make a lot of new friends. Always be open to possibilities and diversity since you will meet people from many different backgrounds and cultures. But everything is worth it. And InterNations is one of the communities you can rely on because they are almost everywhere in the world. Also, do not hesitate to reach out to the Consuls or other expats you meet there, they always love to help you out with any questions you have in mind. Then, enjoy the ride!
About Ica Nisa
People call me "Ica" or "Nisa" sometimes. I am a curious cat by nature. Gaining new knowledge and experiences is what makes me feel most alive. I started my expat journey in Turkey in 2018, which has brought me so many wonderful stories. And I strive to make more in the future, enjoying life with all the little details in it. The morning sunshine, a cup of coffee, a fresh breeze, and the moonlight are magical drops of serenity that make this world worth living.
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