You have made the decision to start a new life a abroad and move from France to a new country – by yourself. Have a look at our tips to help you make your adventure of relocating alone a success: Make new friendships and spend time outside home Keep your previous interests and hobbies or alternatively take up something you’ve always wanted to do. A new opportunity comes up to meet like-minded people in your new community. A new city can be intimidating but the answer is to throw yourself into every opportunity given to you. Accept any invite - you never know who you will meet or what you will take from it. Another way you could meet new people and gain new experiences is through volunteering. This is a great way to learn more about your community and maybe even make some new friends. You could get involved through your new employer, as they are likely to support a non-profit organisation that you could get involved in. Become familiar with your new surroundings One of the first things to do is becoming familiar with your new neighbourhood. You can do this by googling what’s nearby or alternatively you could ask the locals. Using the “I just moved here” line will work wonders for approaching the friendly locals you will meet. You may find out a few places to visit that you never would have thought of before. Your comfort zone will soon widen once you have taken the time to familiarise yourself with your new surroundings. Suddenly the once scary and intimidating new city will be filled with your new favourite places. Don’t compare, but appreciate differences and diversity An important thing that you need to keep in mind and to accept is that when you relocate no living environment is going to be the same and it may take you time to adjust. But if you treat your old home as somewhere separate you can really throw yourself into your new adventure in a new country. Experience tourist life Take some time for yourself to explore and appreciate your new city. Grab a guide book and discover some of the local cultural spots. Or take a look at Crown’s destination guides for some inspiration. To understand the local culture is to appreciate the history that you now call home. Just try – you have nothing to lose Even if it doesn’t turn into a long term living situation you will find that giving your all into this new challenge will be a great learning experience. It will show you how determined and strong you can be. Do not forget that it is going to take time and patience to settle in and make lasting friendships. But if you continue to put yourself out there and give it your best shot then your new city will surely feel like home in no time.