Chapter 8ight: Community
I love my alone time. But it can get a little too lonely when it’s all I’ve got, especially overseas.
One of the bigger hurdles with living overseas and constantly moving around is finding community.
When you’re nomadic, relationships come and go (which is hard in its own way). But even if your connections are temporary, they’re crucial for mental health.
Again, I take plenty of solo trips where I don’t meet anyone. But if you do that for months (or years) at a time, things can get ugly. Even if you’re a super introvert, having some sort of social outlet is important.
Like I mentioned in the accommodations chapter, my favorite way to have an instant community abroad is living in a share house. So check the city/country you’re visiting to see if they have shared living options.
Otherwise, joining local meetups, mingling with the locals or joining English-speaking cafes (meeting language exchange partners) are solid moves.
It also helps if you have a specific hobby or passion, so you can join a group around that thing (like if you’re a musician, meet other musicians).
Poke around Google, social media and ChatGPT—a few good rabbit holes should point you in the right direction for local groups or meetups.
ACTION ITEM:
Research expat/traveler communities in your target nomad country. Make a loose plan for meeting other travelers or nomads overseas.