When I first embarked on my digital nomad journey and moved to Valencia as my first city, I was so lucky to meet some amazing people.
I moved there completely alone, knowing no one and not speaking the language.
Talk about setting yourself up for isolation…
And I've done this on repeat - landing in 7+ cities alone and counting.
Although it can feel lonely at times, what I can say is that finding community is totally possible and it's amazing the people you will meet.
But how do you find your community?
Here are my three tips.
1) Find the digital nomad, remote workers and expat groups
Most popular cities will have some sort of expat and remote worker community on Facebook, Telegram, MeetUp.
Since the pandemic, more individuals than ever are choosing to find a way to combine their career with working from anywhere. As such, these individuals naturally form a bubble in the city, that hey — you can join too.
In the first city I went to there was ‘Valencia Nomads’ which had over 2,000 people in the community. ‘Expats Valencia’ which had 20k members and ‘Girl Gone International Valencia’ which had over 4,000 members.
Attending events run by these forums was a great way to meet people.
2) Integrate With The Locals
You might also be able to use your existing connections to find people in the city you are moving to.
When I went to Valencia, a former neighbour put me in touch with his Spanish friend who grew up in the city. This meant I could meet him and connect with the local Spanish community much more easily.
Don't have any connections in the area you are going to?
Don't worry.
Joining a club (sports, arts or other) is a great way to meet local people who are actually living in the area and often from there. These people are often great at sharing tips on where to stay, how transport works and any local 'watch-outs' you should be aware of.
It's also a great way to learn more about the culture you're in.
3) Be Open-Minded and Proactive
A simple way I have met people is by being open minded, curious and proactive.
There’s no way around it — you have to make an effort to meet people when you know no one.
In my first week in Valenica, I said yes to going to the beach with a girl I had literally met the day before in a coffee shop — we have since become friends.
Put yourself out there, be yourself and you will slowly attract likeminded people!
Remember, having a community is invaluable — especially when things go wrong
I felt most grateful for having a community when in Valencia I fractured my foot on my way for a run in the morning.
Living alone in a new city, this is not what you want to happen…
But I was lucky to have the best people help me, like:
The guy who came to hospital with me with one hour’s notice, sorted my documentation out and translated the language with the reception staff
The couple who went and did my groceries for me — such a boring task and probably not how they wanted to spend their Saturday morning
The girl who came with me on my second hospital visit, spending 6 hours with me when she had just arrived here on holiday
This was the moment I saw how important community is as a digital nomad. Not just because it's fun, but also it can be invaluable when things go wrong.
Never once did it cross my mind that I needed to fly back to the UK — I had enough support here.
And that's the power of community.
Closing thoughts
If you are starting your digital nomad journey, finding community might seem daunting and difficult at first, but it’s totally possible.
It expands your comfort zone and allows you to meet people from all walks of life.
If you're curious about learning more and following the digital nomad journey, you can follow me on Instagram.
Want to start an online business and gain remote freedom? Check out the ImagineThat website for help and support.
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