5 Tips to Make Friends as a Digital Nomad

The world pretty much turned upside down in the past couple of years. Businesses worldwide adopted the work-from-home model, and almost everything we once did in-person went online. As a side effect, many of us went from semi-introverts to total digital nomads. Making friends as a Digital Nomad isn’t as easy in these new times.

It’s true that working online lets you take your office anywhere. With that comes a lot of comfort and convenience as you’re on your terms all the time. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but one problem almost always comes with it: your social life gets thrown out the window! 

That isn’t the reality for everyone, but most digital nomads tend to find themselves in “work mode” all day, leaving no time to make friends. But all hope is not lost! Here are 5 of the best ways to make friends while still being a digital nomad.

1. Make Friends through Social Media 

Sure, social media does come with an amplified version of “stranger danger,” but there are a lot of online communities and groups that you can join to meet new people. These could be groups related to your line of work or just everyday things that match your interests. As you explore the groups and become a more active member, you’ll start to connect with people that have similar views and interests as you, making it the perfect grounds for the start of potential friendships! For advice on the best Digital Nomad Communities to join, check out this website.

2. Make Friends at Shared Workspaces 

Being a digital nomad comes with the freedom of working from wherever you want. While that might just be your couch or a hotel bed most of the time, it doesn’t need to be that way. There are lots of shared workspaces all over the world where you can rent a little space to get your work done. Other like-minded individuals with a similar lifestyle as yours would also be working in these places, making them the perfect grounds to meet people you could easily become friends with overtime! For an overview of shared workspaces all over the world, check out CoWorker.

And if you are still figuring out how to find a job as a Digital Nomad, check out this article for some advice.

3. Make Friends in Airbnbs

Airbnbs have made it super easy to travel and still get the “home-like” experience. There are a lot of Airbnbs where you can just rent out one room in a house. These Airbnbs make it very easy to connect with the hosts and the other guests who may be sharing the living space with you. It’s more of an “if you click with someone” type of deal, but making friends becomes effortless if you find that like-minded individual. You can instantly find awesome Airbnbs all over the world on Airbnb’s website.

4. Make Friends through Local Tours 

If you’re the type of digital nomad that’s in a different country or city all the time, it’s a perfect opportunity for you to make international friends. What’s the point of traveling all the time if you can’t explore the place you’re in? Knock two birds with one stone through guided tours! Take a trip to the area you’re in and connect with fellow travelers. The friends one makes while traveling are those you can’t make any other way. For an overview of locally available tours all over the world, check out Tour Radar.

Book guided tours with companies like G Adventures

There are many amazing guided tours that can take you through whole countries and even continents! Companies like G Adventures have all kinds of options in all kinds of price ranges. Everything is very well taken care of with locals working for the company. It truly feels like you get to know the culture, people and places you visit.

We highly recommend G Adventures, as we did amazing trips with them in Peru, Mexico & Cuba! You can use our affiliate link to book your trip with G Adventures.

5. Attend Events 

No matter where your work might take you, you should always keep an eye on the local events. These could be work-related events, but that’s not necessary. If you’re a comic book fan, hit up a local comic con. If you like dining out, go to a food festival. There are lots of events all over the world that are basically for networking and meeting new people. Getting out there and attending the events you’d actually enjoy is the perfect way to meet other people. Those people are interested in the same things as you, making them much easier to bond with. For an overview of all kinds of locally available events, visit Eventbrite.

Different, but Easy!

While an average person living a set, scheduled life has the option to go out and about to meet new people, the life of a digital nomad is never really static. You’ve just got to think outside the box a bit. When you open yourself up to all the possibilities of connecting with people, you’ll have friends all over the world before you know it!

For a great collection of advice on how to become a Digital Nomad, check out this book!