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In this episode, I speak with Nina Hobson. She reached out directly after seeing a post about The Reliants Project on LinkedIn. Nina is no stranger to relocation. She has lived in 10 countries on 4 continents and has moved countless times. She also writes The Expater, a blog that shares what it’s like to live abroad to help make it more accessible to others. Last but not least, she is also the director of communications for Expat Buddy, an app that connects likeminded expats to each other.
In this episode we talk about:
- The challeges she faced the first time she moved to a new country
- What she does to plan for a move today
- Why it’s sometimes necessary to throw that plan out the window upon arrival
- Her strategies for making friends in new places
- How she thinks about local and non-local friends in her life
Show Notes
- First time moving abroad [2:49]
- Neglected the fact that you have to make an effort to meet people [4:00]
- Different countries have different personalities [6:14]
- Which countries were easiest or hardest to meet people [7:51]
- How to make a plan to meet people before moving to a new place [10:39]
- Post-move, knowing when to set aside the plan [12:40]
- Building strong ties for instrumental help [13:41]
- Top tips for moving abroad [15:05]
- Local vs. non-local friends [16:25]
- Making lists of friends and maintaining one-to-one contact [17:11]
- Potential impact of moving on careers [18:58]
- How these skills have prepared people for connecting during a pandemic [20:45]
- The 100 Year Life and transformational assets [22:06]
- Underappreciating cultural differences when the language is the same [24:16]
- Heuristics that signal an opportunity for a strong connection [25:40]
- How long does it take to make a meaningful connection? [27:08]
- Being open and direct about seeking friendship [28:29]
- Awareness of security concerns for women to meet people online [29:30]
- Balancing existing vs. new connections [30:40]
- Starting from ‘what’ you need vs. ‘who’ you need [31:50]
- What holds people back and makes it hard to assimilate in a new place [33:57]
Selected Links
Connect to Nina Hobson: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter
Learn more about other life events that impact your network and how to reduce their impact here.