If you are nervous about an upcoming event where you will be surrounded by strangers for a long period of time then you will definitely want to continue reading this article. I will be looking at ways that you can stay calm when making friends with new people abroad, which will not only be useful for making the most of your time in a new country but will socially broaden your horizons and hopefully allow you to make a new friendship that will last for a very long time.
Once you gain some confidence and get used to approaching strangers in the hope of establishing a friendship you will find that the nerves just gradually disappear over time. Life is too short to be nervous about speaking to people and you should try your best to avoid this way of thinking. Especially when traveling abroad which costs so much money these days you should make the most of your vacation in every way possible, and get to know some of the locals which could potentially change the whole dynamic of the trip in a great way.
Starting the Conversation
When it comes to starting a conversation with a new person it is important that you do not come across as too strong and that you are clear in what you are saying to avoid any confusion. Start with a greeting and maybe a bit of small talk to establish a small introduction between yourselves. This will hopefully continue in a friendly and natural way and as you learn more about each other you will be able to tell if you have built a friend relationship or not. From this, you could exchange contact details to try and attempt a meetup at a later point.
Looking Approachable
A big part of making the initial interaction between you and a stranger you are trying to get to know is looking approachable. This is usually conveyed through facial expressions and body language signs that show you as being friendly as opposed to being strange. This is very important when you first start talking to a new person as first impressions in this situation count for a lot. If you are able to relax and try and start a conversation that flows naturally then you have most of the hard part tackled.
Small Activities and Conversation Starters
If you get nervous about running out of things to say when you are talking to someone new, then I would highly recommend that you look for some small games and conversation starters to help you if your mind goes blank. You could rehearse a few small jokes or questions on local trivia which both have the potential to produce a lengthy and light-hearted conversation. You can find some of the best trivia questions on easily accessible online resources so this really is no difficult task for you, and it can save you a lot of worry about how you are going to approach a new potential friend.
Offering a Drink
If all else fails, a sure-fire way to take a lot of pressure off you when you first start trying to make a new friend would be to offer to buy them a drink. This seems to be a universal way to communicate your intentions of getting to know and hopefully build a friendship with someone. This may be a small gesture but it is highly effective at helping a conversation to flow naturally and get things going off to a good start, at the very least it is a friendly thing to do that may also get you a free drink in return.
