There’s something about constantly traveling that puts you in limbo. Often you are time zone challenged, making it difficult to keep up with the day-to-day details of others’ lives. Unless you’ve had enough time to settle in a new place, chances are you haven’t made your “new best friends” yet.
Eileen:
I will never forget when we first left Phoenix at the beginning of our travels. When our friends asked, “When will you be back?” there was a moment of silence, a shrug, and a noncommittal, “We will let you know.” I’m pretty sure that response was not what they were looking for.
Mike:
Hey, at least that means they like us! It was nice to know that through Facebook and Instagram we would be able to keep up with our friends’ lives, though posting a “like” isn’t quite the same as spending time together.
Eileen:
Sometimes you just need “face time” with a loved one, right? There are some great apps that allow for more personalized contact. In Latin America, WhatsApp is widely used by both locals and fellow travelers. It also allows you to make free audio or video calls. As always, there is Skype and Facebook Messenger that work well as well.
Mike:
I think it’s a priority to return for major family events. It is important for me to strike a balance between time together and time away. Yeah, it doesn’t quite cut it to Photoshop ourselves into that graduation picture, does it?
Eileen:
Depends on your Photoshop skills–just kidding! I’ve loved the openness we’ve both shown to meeting new people wherever we go.
It may seem intimidating to make new friends at a later stage in life, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you are into yoga, hiking, or cultural activities, there are special interest groups in every city through organizations like Meetup. Then, of course, there’s the TCI community, which is a great source for meeting others.
Mike:
Remember the time we joined the expat trivia night in Cuenca and we won the bottle of wine? Now that’s a way to make new friends, huh?
Eileen:
For sure. Whether it’s an expat group in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, or Cuenca, Ecuador, most of these groups welcome newcomers and are eager to help you settle in.
Mike:
I completely agree. The response from expats we’ve met along the way has been wonderful. I also find that our volunteer experiences allow us to engage with locals and integrate ourselves into their community. We now have friends all over the world.
Eileen:
And the cool thing is that, as our network of friends grows, we get to introduce them to each other. That’s especially fun when our friends visit some of the places we’ve been to.
There’s nothing like creating our own world wide web… and everyone is welcome; so get in touch.
by: Mike & Eileen Brill-Wagner
