Building Relationships in Spain

Meeting new people when you move to a new country is probably one of the most daunting things that you will face upon your arrival in Spain. Putting yourself out there and overcoming a language barrier at the same time can be pretty scary, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be as hard as you think – there are probably many other people not far away who are in exactly the same position as you! For some people making new friends happens naturally; housemates and work colleagues are the easiest places to start, but for others, the situation can be just that bit more difficult. If you’re moving abroad alone, establishing contacts and building friendship groups is one of the best ways to make the move easier and smoother, especially during those first few months, and there are a number of options as to how to make this happen.

Work & Home

The workplace is a great way to meet new people and is usually where you meet the people who you will probably become closest to, especially because you will be spending so much time together during working hours. Even just establishing a basic relationship with your colleagues can make the immersion into your new life easier so it’s worth making the effort to talk to people during those first few days.

If you’re travelling alone, then you will more than likely be living with other students or foreign travellers. This is one of the best ways to make friends because it’s likely that you are all in the same situation and be there, a language barrier or not, it instantly makes you feel like you’re in it together already. Flatmates are also great people to explore the city with, especially if they arrived before you and have a better grasp on directions and where the best bars are.

If you’re renting out an apartment to yourself or are moving with your family, establishing relationships with your neighbours, whether it’s by a simple “Hola” in the corridor or by inviting them round for dinner is also a good idea when you first move in. Once your face is known, you will be accepted as though you’ve lived in the building for ever which is both comforting and useful (especially if you need to borrow a household object that you have yet to purchase), just try not to get in their bad books!

Intercambio

Intercambio is a massive thing here in Spain as I believe it is in most European countries. If you haven’t done it before, Intercambio is a great way to improve your language skills at the same time as making a friend, in completely neutral circumstances. Meeting any other Spaniard in a bar or at work can sometimes be daunting, especially when you first arrive and aren’t as yet confident with your language skills. When it comes to Intercambio however, the idea is to share your languages, so the other person will speak Spanish with you for a certain amount of time, allowing you to engage in the sort of everyday conversation that nobody taught you at university, and then in return you speak English with them for a while.

Sometimes you don’t even have to go looking for an Intercambio, in fact they have been known to knock on your very own front door (another upside to making friends with the neighbours) and it’s also possible that colleagues at work know someone who wants to practise their English or has kids who need extra tuition. Either way, an Intercambio isn’t that difficult to find, or if one doesn’t find you then there are plenty of easy ways to get in touch with people.

Sites such as intercambio-es.com and lingolex.com receive requests for English-speaking (as well as many other languages) expatriates to help them improve their language skills while they help you with yours.

Couch Surfing

Despite its literal meaning, couch surfing doesn’t necessarily include home stays, but rather a great opportunity to meet loads of new people and practice your Spanish. Like Intercambio, couch surfing is more like a language exchange where a groups of multi-national students and workers come together to chat, about anything. Events such as these usually take place in bars and dates, times and locations tend to be posted on sites such as www.couchsurfing.org.

Get Involved

Joining a local club or becoming a volunteer at something you enjoy is a great way to broaden your horizons, get to know your local community and meet new people who share similar interests. You’ll be surprised at exactly how many different opportunities there are to get involved, no matter how big or small your new community is, and if you’ve been an active member of any clubs or societies at home they’re bound to have an equivalent here. If this is completely new however, then Spain is your oyster! Trying something new might surprise you and will provide the perfect opportunity to meet new and different people.

Go all out!

If you’re in a city, or even a town for that matter, it’s highly likely that there will be events of all kinds held weekly if not daily. From book fairs to music festivals to film premieres, getting involved in the excitement of your new home is a great way to discover more about where you live and you’ll be surprised at how many great things take place right on your doorstep! Spain is famous for its fiestas and it won’t let you down and they’re also a great way to meet people.
Regularly checking about upcoming events in your area on sights such as www.guiadelocio.com and www.whatsonwhen.com are updated daily listing future events that you can get involved in.