Top 5 Reasons to Look for and Make New Friends Overseas

One of the best things about having friends living halfway around the world – or at least hundreds of miles from where you currently live – is to get a key understanding of different cultures.

And in doing so, that opens up a whole new way of thinking (and even, living) for you. Seeing new ways of doing things changes the way you perceive your own current habitat. And not in terms of location, but people too.

But there are other advantages to making and visiting new friends abroad, of course. Learning a language becomes easier, finding accommodation is no longer a huge headache, and you get to know the authentic country you’re visiting (because your host living there does). Here are our top 5 reasons for looking for and making new friends overseas. See if you agree. And if you do, perhaps you could consider becoming a host yourself:

Learning a new language

It’s so much easier to learn a new language when you are immersed in it (rather than just reading and memorising from a textbook). When you visit abroad you are pretty much forced to learn the language – otherwise asking for anything in a shop becomes embarrassing and you spend most of your time not talking to anyone. It may be that your friend and others you meet there can converse with you in your own language but really, that feels a bit like cheating. Even if you’re not trying to learn the language while visiting, you probably won’t be able to help yourself picking up several words or phrases.

You become more accepting of others

We’re not saying that you weren’t accepting of other people before you went overseas to stay with your friend, just that your definition of what is acceptable or ‘normal’ may be stretched considerably afterwards. In our opinion, visiting different countries and meeting others from cultures other than your own can make you a much more well-rounded person. And that means being more inclusive – a word which certainly has a lot of weight placed on it today. It could be too that your new-found ‘openness’ leads you to consider working abroad, providing more long-term career opportunities for you at the same time.

Your friendships are more meaningful

You won’t get to see your friend from abroad all that often thanks to work or study commitments and for financial reasons. So, when you do meet up you tend to both use that time wisely by getting intimate much more quickly than you would if your friend lived just around the corner. By that we mean you’ll get to know each other on a deeper level because there’s no time for small talk. You’ll also have an enriching experience because you’ll be planning fun things to do in order to make the most of your time together.

You avoid the tourist traps

When you make and visit friends abroad you get to see the ‘real’ country because you have a first-class guide to show you around. That means avoiding the chain restaurants with the over-priced food and the packed tourist buses where you can’t always find a seat. Instead your friend can show you short-cuts to some amazing out-of-the-way locations where your typical tourist never ventures. Instead, you get a glimmer into what it’s like to live like a citizen in your new friend’s country. That means discovering what they like to do in their leisure time, how they eat and how best to navigate the city.

You will always have someplace to stay

If your friend lives in a popular overseas destination or city then it can sometimes be difficult to book a reasonably-priced hotel – and never at short notice. So, having somewhere you’ll always be welcome to turn up at with your luggage onboard, is a huge plus. Considering accommodation is usually the most expensive part of a holiday abroad, having somewhere to rest your head for free in another country is something that really shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Get in touch

If you would like to visit a friend in another country – and build up what could potentially be a life-long friendship – then why not take a look at our website www.visitsomeone.com today? You will find that hosts are looking to meet new friends all around the world – and vice versa.

If doesn’t take long to build up meaningful friendships when you stay with another person in their domain and then reciprocate by hosting them back. It’s educational, eye-opening and ultimately lots of fun.