5 Ways to Meet People While Traveling as a Digital Nomad<\/h2>\n
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Sure, you can meet anyone at any time. Waiting in line for coffee? The person behind you could be your new best friend, assuming you started the right kind of conversation. Or, maybe that person hasn\u2019t had their coffee yet and doesn\u2019t want to be bothered. I tend to assume the latter and keep my mouth shut in these types of real-life meeting scenarios.<\/p>\n
Instead, I prefer to specifically go to events where other people are trying to make friends too. In that kind of environment, everyone is in the same boat: we\u2019re all just out here, trying not to look as awkward as we feel, ideally gathering a few real human connections before we move onto the next adventure. Here are a few quick ways to find friends on the go:<\/p>\n
1. Meetup.com<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Where are you right now? Istanbul? Amsterdam? Medell\u00edn? I guarantee there\u2019s a meetup in your city that\u2019s worth going to \u2013 you just have to look. Hit up Meetup and search for upcoming events that interest you.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in a large city or digital nomad hotspot (shout out to Chiang Mai!), there will very likely be upcoming meetups specifically for digital nomads you can check out. If not, look for expat meetups, which are the next best thing in my opinion.<\/p>\n Ladies, there are women-only travel and networking meetups in just about every big city you can name \u2013 I\u2019ve been to several, and it can be a great way to make friends without feeling like you\u2019re on a meat market.<\/p>\n 2. The Digital Nomad subreddit<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 If you\u2019re looking for a surly group of remote workers, have I got the subreddit for you! Although the participants in this particular subreddit can be sassy at times, this subreddit is still one of the top resources for digital nomads that I\u2019ve found online.<\/p>\n Have questions about health insurance while traveling? Need info about visa stuff? Looking to commiserate about loneliness and life in general? There are people posting every day that you can interact with and get advice from (because let\u2019s be honest, sometimes digital friends are just as good as the IRL version).<\/p>\n 3. Facebook groups<\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019m obsessed with Facebook groups, and have used them both personally and professionally for years. Out of all the Facebook groups I\u2019m a member of, the digital nomad and travel-related groups have provided the most value. Here\u2019s the best strategy for finding relevant Facebook groups:<\/p>\n First, search your city + digital nomad. If there\u2019s a group, it\u2019ll come up. Next, search for expat groups in your city. Next, search for professional groups or sporty stuff you might be into. Ask to join all these groups, check them out and participate. The Medell\u00edn digital nomads Facebook group<\/a> is how I found tejo Chris<\/a> and got to learn all about Colombia\u2019s national sport…which involves blowing stuff up, natch.<\/p>\n If you’re in a hot spot for digital nomads, the Facebook groups are likely to be active \u2013 the Chiang Mai Digital Nomads FB group<\/a> is one of the more popular I’ve seen, with around 30,000 members and 10+ posts per day.<\/p>\n For broader Facebook groups you can participate in while traveling, I highly recommend Digital Nomads Around the World<\/a> and Workationing: Support and Advice for Digital Nomads<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are also lady-specific groups, like She Hit Refresh<\/a> and Digital Nomad Girls Community<\/a>. Girl Gone International<\/a> has FB groups in just about every city you can think of, and regularly hold meetup events (I recently had a killer brunch with the GGI Amsterdam<\/a> ladies). Looking for love? Nomad Soulmates<\/a> could be the group you\u2019ve been waiting for your whole life.<\/p>\n Dig into Facebook groups for travelers, and you\u2019re bound to meet like-minded people both in your area and around the world. These groups often have events you can check out, where you can meet these people in person and see if you can shake any friends out of the experience.<\/p>\n If you want to get crazy, host a digital nomad brunch or lunch at the location of your choice. Kelly and I did this several times, and it brought all kinds of interesting people into our lives. As a side note: people are much more likely to introduce themselves to you if it\u2019s your event.<\/p>\n 4. Facebook events<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t just stop at Facebook groups, also check out the events in your area. What\u2019re you interested in? Put it on your calendar and go!<\/p>\n 5. Tinder<\/strong> \u2013 Let\u2019s be honest, if you\u2019re a single digital nomad you\u2019ve probably got Tinder up and running already. If not, give it a shot (OkCupid isn\u2019t up and popping in every city \u2013 it\u2019s basically a digital ghost town in Amsterdam).<\/p>\n If you get Tinder Gold (the paid version), you can save time and sort through only the people who have liked you already. The upgraded version also allows you to set your location to anywhere in the world \u2013 so you can scope out the local talent before you even board the flight there. You\u2019d be surprised how many digital nomads and traveling types there are in the major cities \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n Again, one of the most common complaints from digital nomads is loneliness \u2013 and that feeling of being alone can ruin an otherwise great travel experience (especially if you\u2019re a solo traveler). It\u2019s something I had to deal with, too \u2013 and I\u2019m out here traveling with my best friend and business partner.<\/p>\n Out of everything I did for myself along my own digital nomad journey, getting an internet therapist was one of the best decisions I made for myself. I love my internet therapist so much, Workationing now has an affiliate relationship with BetterHelp \u2013 click this link<\/a> and you\u2019ll get 7 days of free internet therapy, so you can check it out for yourself.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a digital nomad bouncing around from city to city, it doesn\u2019t really make sense (and likely isn\u2019t possible) for you to get a traditional therapist. Fortunately, we live in the age of the magic internet box, and you can use it to do all kinds of things (work, waste time watching YouTube videos…even get therapy).<\/p>\nThe Best Way to Combat Loneliness as a Digital Nomad: Get an Internet Therapist<\/h2>\n
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