How to build your network, create belonging, and arrive in your new country already feeling at home — before the boxes are even unpacked.
Most people wait until they arrive to start connecting. It makes sense — you're busy, finishing projects, packing boxes, saying goodbye. The new country feels abstract until the plane lands.
But here's what happens when you wait: you arrive exhausted, overwhelmed, and unknown. You need support precisely when you have none.
"The globally mobile don't struggle to connect because they lack social skills. They struggle because they keep starting from zero."
These five strategies change that. Things you can do now — weeks or months before you move — using nothing more than your phone, your existing network, and the courage to reach out.
Before you look anywhere else, look at who you already know. Someone in your WhatsApp group, alumni network, or professional circle has almost certainly lived in — or knows someone who lives in — the city you're moving to. Send a message. Post in your group. You will be surprised by what comes back.
Facebook groups are still where the globally mobile community gathers. Search for the city you're moving to and join two or three groups before you arrive. Then do the thing that feels vulnerable but works: introduce yourself. People are generous. They remember what it felt like to be new.
If you're moving with children, the admissions office is one of the most underused resources available to you. Ask directly: "Do you have a Parent Ambassador programme? Could you connect us with a family who has children in the same year groups?" Most schools are happy to facilitate this — you just have to ask.
Organisations like Families in Global Transition (figt.org), International Women's Associations, Girls Gone International, Meetup, and Here We Are Global have online communities you can access before you move. Send an email. Sign up for their newsletter. Attend an online event. You don't need to be in the city yet to start building relationships there.
If your move is connected to a partner's assignment or your own employer, there's a ready-made community available. Reach out through the HR or mobility team and ask if they can connect you with families currently based in your destination city. People who have lived your exact situation are the most generous connections you can make.
These five strategies will help you arrive less alone. They are practical, proven, and they work.
But I want to be honest with you about something: building an external network is only half of what it takes to feel truly at home. The other half is internal — and it's the part most people never address.
"You don't need more strategies for meeting people. You need roots strong enough that wherever you land, you arrive already knowing who you are."
That's the work I do. And if you recognise yourself in those words, I'd love to talk.
Three ways to work with me — wherever you are in your globally mobile journey.
chatleincoaching.com · @chatleincoaching
Born in Curaçao, I moved to the Netherlands at 19 and never really stopped moving. Eight countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe have shaped everything I know about identity, belonging, and what it means to feel at home. I am a certified Coach and Mentor and I help the globally mobile feel rooted — reclaiming their identity, deepening their belonging, and feeling at home across borders.