You breathe a sigh of relief: you have actually moved in to your new home in Greece. At last the dream has come true…And, as the first flush of excitement wears off, you would be less than human if you didn’t occasionally miss those that you have left behind, your family, the old friends and all that is familiar to you.

Soon Greece will be home – but it may take a little while. In the meantime, there is much that you can do to help the process along.

Making new friends is probably the most important aspect of settling into a new country, and there are many ways in which you can give this a nudge in the right direction. First and foremost, what are your interests and hobbies? Having a common interest is a really good basis for a new friendship, and you will have many opportunities to meet people this way. Are you a bird watcher? Do you enjoy walks and rambles? Do you want to try and write a book? Are you keen on stamp collecting? These are all interests that many people share and you may well find clubs or groups nearby that will allow you to meet people of similar interests.

Do you have children? This is a sure-fire way of making contact with potential friends. Offer your services at the school, chat to fellow parents as you wait for your child at the end of the day, volunteer to do library duty…what ever it takes! Encouraged your child to invite other class mates for ‘play dates’ – after all, your children need friends as badly as you do and someone will need to collect them…

An introduction to the neighbours is also a great way to feel part of the community.  Don’t worry if they only speak Greek and yours isn’t great – they will appreciate the gesture and you will at least have made a move to be part of the local community. After a few weeks you may want to host a little house warming party? Just ask a few neighbours around and perhaps a few parents at your children’s school if applicable…

You may well find that your area has a local English newspaper or magazine, like for instance the Corfiot on Corfu. This is a very good way of catching up on what’s happening locally and you may well find that there are some get-togethers that you may want to attend. Things like Will and Kate’s wedding may be celebrated by local expats and you could join in?

Use local shops, pubs and restaurants – in this way you will meet the people who frequent your neighbourhood. Get into conversation with people – a friendly chat is part of Greek life: learn how to say ‘hello’ and greet all and sundry…you’ll soon get to know people and they’ll get to know and accept you too.
 
It is very important to learn Greek if you are going to be living in Greece permanently. I am not suggesting that you need to become an expert, but conversational Greek will increase your chances of being accepted into the community a hundredfold. Try and immerse yourself in the sound of Greek, whether out and about, watching TV or listening to the radio. You could also ask around about Greek lessons: in some parts of the country they are now free for EU residents.

And one day, not too far in the future, you will realise that, almost without noticing it, you have become part of the community – and you feel perfectly at home!