Making new friends in a new city can be tough.  When people tell me that I will make new friends in Montreal, my usual response is, “I don’t want new friends!  I want my new friends in Brussels to mixed with my old friends in Seattle, mashed with my family, sprinkled with those I love around the world to come to one space and shower me with love all of the time!”

I do not thrive in change.

But here are some of the things I did that I think helped me with my adjustment to Montreal:

1 – Do some sort of sport.  Pedram found squash buddies on craigslist, I found a yoga studio I liked and went often, my friend Katie finds an intramural soccer team in every city she lives in.  It is a good way to meet people, develop a routine, and stay active.

2 – Find a group of like-minded people.  For me this was easy, as there is an active Baha’i’ community in Montreal, and I was instantly introduced to people who share a similar base of thoughts as me.  They also teach language courses there and have plenty of activities.

3 – Be a volunteer.  Granted, I volunteer with dogs, so I don’t get alot of people contact in my volunteer work, but through the trainings and events I have made connections.  Plus, that is how we got Rusby, and he is pretty great.

4 – Try a new activity.  Knitting, gardening, cooking, whatever.  Go into stores you normally wouldn’t, ask questions from experts, see if they have classes, etc.

5 – Meet people who are in a similar situation.  Expats are a great way to share information and compare experiences.  It makes the city feel much smaller.

6 – Just say yes.  Eventhough you may not be interested in attending the community fair, or the local festival, or attending an event where you know no one – I highly recommend doing it.  Just say yes to any invitation, and hopefully something great will come out of it.

7 – Take a class.  My first friends in Brussels were friends I made in french class, which was a great way to practice the language (we didn’t have any other language in common) and make great friends.

And of course, you have to be patient.  Which is hard to hear, but it is so true.  It just takes time to find your niche and some great people in your new home.