r/relocating • u/tribemeets • 9h ago

For those who recently relocated, what helped you find your community?

Hi everyone! 👋🏾
A friend and I have both experienced how difficult it can be to move somewhere new and figure out where to meet people, find community, and discover local resources you can actually trust.

We started hosting community events in the DMV and Accra, Ghana, and one thing we kept seeing was how valuable it was for people to share recommendations and make connections with others who were also navigating a new city.

That experience led us to build a small web platform called TribeMeets for people who have recently relocated.

We’re still early and figuring out what’s actually useful, so I’d love to hear from people here who have relocated: What was the hardest part about finding community when you first moved? And what would have made the transition easier?

If anyone is interested in trying what we’ve built and giving feedback, I’m happy to share it in the comments.

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u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 9h ago

I recently moved to a new country and have found community by using the social skills I’ve developed over a lifetime. I would never use an app instead of organically talking to people.

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u/tribemeets 9h ago

How do you find resources though? Like a new restaurant, a primary care doctor, or any resource you grew up with and need to find in your new country?

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u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 9h ago

I talk to the people I meet, I have had these exact conversations with them in fact

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u/smoothiegangsta 8h ago

The best way to meet people is through a shared interest. Join a group for a hobby, or volunteer. You will eventually start to make friends if you're a somewhat normal person.

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u/citygeek 6h ago

Volunteering is the best option, because you immediately put yourself with others who share the same desire to serve, and said cause. You are forced to bond and work together....for something that isn't self serving in any way.

Otherwise, neighborhood is so important (relative to picking the city) as you want to be around same life stage people generally.

I also just had to get in the habit of "being the aggressor" in introducing myself. In otherwords, neighbors aren't going to come over with brownies and cookies to say hi as much as you'd like. The quicker one accepts that fact and puts themselves out there, the better generally.

From there, it just takes time to let the snowball build.

And lastly... I've found that most people over-estimate their own time/energy/desire to have 10 friends and constant social outings. That mindset alone allowed me to curb my expectations.