I get asked all the time if I'm lonely or tired of being alone because I am single and travel the world solo. The answer is always, "no, I am not lonely" and most of the time, I am not alone. If anything, I have the opposite problem at times. I am a social bug and I put in the effort to meet new people and get involved locally, wherever I may be. I enjoy the new friendships and activities but there's plenty of times when I just want to sit quietly by myself in my rental, on the beach, at a restaurant, or some beautiful location and just be. I enjoy my own company, and I enjoy company of others. I think it's important to have a healthy balance of both.
But for all of you scaredy cats out there (wink, wink) who have irrational fears about eating at a restaurant solo, going grocery shopping solo, going for a walk solo, going on a vacation solo, going to a beach solo, sightseeing solo, or whatever it might be, there are a million ways to find other people who would like to enjoy time with you. Don't pass up an opportunity because you're afraid to do something solo. You never know what amazing people you're going to meet or how much fun you're going to have.
Here's how I find new friends and get involved in local events, no matter where I am in the world.
Join Local Facebook Groups
This is my first step when I want to start researching a country or specific city. First, I find a local Facebook group for the country or city by using the search bar in Facebook. For example, I am working on my travel plans for Alanya, Turkey. Within Facebook, I go to the Search bar and type in various combinations of key words and search for Groups:
-Alanya, Turkey
-Digital Nomads in Alanya, Turkey
-Nomads in Alanya, Turkey
-Expats in Alanya, Turkey
-Expats and Nomads in Alanya
(you get the point)
Once I found some groups, I look to see how many members are in each group and join the ones with the larger member count. Groups that have low member counts often have those members within the larger groups; so no need to double dip the population of the groups.
Within each group, I look at the Events tab and see if there is anything going on that I would like to attend during my time in the area. I RSVP to the event and I make sure to write a comment in the post so the Event Host knows I am new to the area and looking forward to the event. That way, when I show up for the first time meeting a group, they can keep an eye open for me and greet me by name.
I also read posts within each group. If anyone is trying to organize a meetup that I would enjoy, I reply. And I make personal posts to groups with a quick introduction stating I'm new to town and how long I will be around. I describe the things I enjoy doing and let others know to reach out if they would like to join me for aperitivo (happy hour), dinner, beach day, sightseeing, or a coffee. People respond to the post and most often send me a private message saying they read my post and would like to get together.
Beyond using these groups for social purposes, they are a great resource to learn about the community and find rentals. Property Managers and individuals with rental properties love these groups. This is how I found my rentals in Aruba for two months at the end of 2021. I connected with a local real estate agent in Aruba that has a list of rental properties through their agency. We exchanged emails, I sent him my list of requirements, dates and price range. He then sent me links to available units that met my needs; I looked over each unit and replied with the two places I wanted to rent. Easy peasy!
Trip Advisor, Viator, Airbnb Experiences
Sometimes I'm looking for organized excursions where I can join a small group. Sites like Trip Advisor, Viator, and Airbnb Experiences have been great to utilize. In Split, Croatia, I joined a local animal shelter and help walk dogs and play with them at a beach for a few hours in the morning. It was so much fun! This opportunity was on Airbnb Experiences and there were about 15 other people that signed up to help as well. Not only did I enjoy time with lots of dogs, but I had fun with strangers that also were animal lovers. I've also found snorkel and boat trips, local walking tours, cooking classes, etc. So although I sign up as an individual, the tours have other people who are friendly and excited to share the experience with the group, and once again I am not alone or lonely.
One major takeaway from this post should be, effort. I put in the effort to purposely get involved and meet people, when I want to. And if I'm already out and about on my own, I will smile and say hello to people sitting near me or walking by. More often than not, people will reciprocate the welcome and even start a conversation.
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