We who work with expats know that far too many assignments end early or end badly, mostly due to cultural differences and unhappy families. And we also know that relationships are probably the single most important factor in feeling content and at home in a place. If you aren’t able to connect with people, you will most likely have a negative impression of your expat home. In the article “How to Make Friends Abroad: Ideas for Lonely Expats”, the author states that “an unhappy expat is far more likely to give it all up and head for home than a happy expat with plenty of friends. So, if you want to succeed abroad, you owe it to yourself to find ways to make friends and meet people.” Not a truer word was spoken. We can’t just wait for the natives to be friendly. We have to be a friend to the natives ourselves, or at the very least to other expats like ourselves. To read the full article, click here.