There’s no sugarcoating it. Making friends as an expat is hard. Making friends as an adult is hard enough, moving to a new place and trying to establish yourself in just adds a layer of difficulty. So unless you’re that person who definitely doesn’t need help in that department, here’s a few tips from my experience as an expat in Spain.
1: Use Instagram
Groundbreaking, I know. It’s 2019 and I’m telling you to use Instagram. Well, you may have to get a bit creative. Don’t just scroll looking for cool restaurants, search those hashtags. Before I even moved, I searched #madridblogger in hopes of finding someone I might jive with. I did! I DMed Karime right away and honestly, I got super lucky. She was more than happy to meet up for drinks when I got settled. Fortunately we get along great and have similar backgrounds so now we’ve been friends for awhile!
Karime, who I met through IG, on NYE 
Karime and I hiking
2: Join in on Facebook
Remember when I told you how Facebook would help you in your apartment search? Well it helps for general stuff too. Most major cities have groups on Facebook for expats and digital nomads. I’m a member of travel, blogger, expat, digital nomad, and women in business groups specifically in Madrid. Not only have I met people, I’ve also gotten freelance work through those groups! It does take a bit of digging and you might have to get out of your comfort zone, but Facebook is a big help!
3: Get Social at Work
I work part time as a teacher and get along with my coworkers. That said, most of them are in different stages of their lives than I am, so we don’t necessarily hang out. I did make friends with the other Teaching Assistants though! We’re all expats, around the same age and have most of the same cultural references, which really brings us together. I’m also seeking out friends in the digital space. Sometimes I try to go coworking with other remote workers and have made both friends and business contacts that way.
4: Join Clubs
Admittedly this is the one thing I haven’t done here, but I should! I guess because I’ve found people other ways, I haven’t felt the need to join any clubs yet. Lots of people I know meet people this way! Like hiking? There’s a club for that. Like day trips? There’s a club for that. You can join running clubs, gyms, smoking clubs; there are all kinds of options and ways to find people with similar interests.
5: Be Open, Friendly & Get Out There
Sounds simple enough, right? It’s not. Getting into a routine in a new place takes time and can be very frustrating. There will be lots of times when you just want to go home, crawl in bed and watch Netflix. Well, don’t, at least not always. Don’t be afraid to go outside. Smile. Talk to your doorman, say hi to your neighbors when you see them. Be open to a random invite to drinks. Leave yourself open to possibilities. I’m not saying you’re going to make friends instantly, but you’re definitely going to increase those odds.
They sound like simple, common-sense tips. Yeah, they are. But too often we get busy letting life happen and getting into our routines and forget to take these small steps. Let me tell you, having these friends here has made my experience 100% better than it would’ve been otherwise.
What about you? Any tips to add for making friends as an expat?