International Friendship Stories

Melissa has lived across multiple places and shares how each place left its own mark:

“Some gave me laughter, others gave me loneliness. But in every city, I searched for something real.

In Mexico, I found warmth — not just in the sun, but in a friend who taught me how to trust my intuition again and start a tarot and coaching business.

In London, I learned boundaries the hard way, specially in the finance industry. I also met someone who reminded me how strong softness could be and this friendship still stays strong.

Oslo taught me stillness — and that silence doesn’t always mean disconnection. It means reconnecting to yourself.

In Sydney, I found soul-deep laughter with someone who asked nothing from me, just presence.

Not everyone stayed. But the ones who did — across time zones, languages, and heartbreaks — reminded me: friendship isn’t about geography. It’s about soul recognition.

And I never stopped searching for that. New friendships and new ways to evolve, trusting that the right people will always be there.”

Not only thanks to their job as a teacher, Jenny (currently in Kuala Lumpur) has met people from what feels like all over the place: Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, UAE, Yemen, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, UK, Italy, USA, Türkiye, South Africa, India, Nigeria … just to name a few.

“It is such a joy to have so many international friends. I realize that despite some minor differences, we are actually all the same. We all want to be loved and respected.

I met up with one of my international friends in LA last year for 2 weeks and he took me around. As it was during Thanksgiving, I also met his entire family! We had potluck and I made them Chinese fried rice with ginger, eggs, and bacon. It was such a wonderful trip! I plan to also meet my Italian and Turkish friend next time I visit Italy and Türkiye too.”

For Leonardo from Cagliari, a random encounter turned into a close friendship between families:

“Back in 2001, my wife-to-be and I were walking in the vicinity of Milan’s cathedral and we were stopped by two people about our age. They were asking for information about a car workshop to repair their car but unfortunately it was the 15th of August and everything was closed. So we helped them to find an hotel for the night and the following week to fix the car.

In doing so we had the opportunity to make friends. Since then, we started visiting each other for years in turns in France and in Italy. We became so close that my wife became the godmother of their third girl. We still keep in touch.”

Naeem Ul from Toronto, meanwhile, shared how a seemingly small moment changed their outlook on life:

“In May this year, my beautiful wife and I were in Sorrento, Italy. While we were dining at our hotel, I heard loud, joyful laughter coming from a nearby table. Drawn by their infectious energy, I walked over and said, ‘Hey guys, I love your laughter and the incredible energy you’re radiating!’

To my surprise, they warmly invited me to join them — and I did, happily. We shared a wonderful time, full of laughter and pleasant conversation. When they asked about us, I mentioned that we are dual nationals living in Canada and often travel to Pakistan to visit our parents.

At one point, a lovely lady named Aine asked me how old I was. I told her, ‘I’m 59… getting old.’ Without missing a beat, she looked at me and said, ‘Don’t insult us! We’re all over 70, and we’re planning for the next 15 years — full of adventure and happiness. And you, at 59, consider yourself old?’

Wow. That one statement completely shifted my perspective.

Sometimes, you need to walk up to people instead of waiting for them to come to you. You never know when a brief encounter might give you a whole new outlook on life.

Life is beautiful — especially with good people and meaningful moments around you.”

Sometimes, it doesn’t always have to be a major life lesson, though. As Ivon from Nairobi experienced, our friends can be a big help with more practical things, too:

“On my visit to East Asia, I met people from different places. I’m so glad I met an Egyptian guy who introduced me to tech, showed me how to go through job applications … And I learnt how to ride a bike in Bali courtesy of my friend from Egypt.”