Making Friends

Having moved around the UK several times I have come to realise how important it is to make contacts and from that new friends, especially when you have no family nearby. Here it is doubly important as, not only do I have no family here, I don't, as yet, speak Italian very well.

When we arrived I joined a group of English speaking mums www.firenzemoms4moms.net. Every week we meet up with our kids for coffee and a natter. This has been a lifeline to me. From it I am starting to make some good friends. It is a diverse group from the US, Canada and the UK, some married to Italians, others here on secondment or contract for a few years. What we all share is the same language and kids! What is nice to discover is that sometimes we have more than just kids in common. Similar interests, backgrounds but also that it is good to talk!!!

So, tip for the day: Wherever you move to check out societies, organisations, clubs anything that gets you out and meeting people, irrespective of the language they speak! In Florence I am just lucky there are so many things catering for English speakers from the above group to the British Institute and its amazing library. If there hadn't been I would have found something else - a playgroup, book club, whatever - anything to make sure I was out and meeting people. It's the best cure for homesickness! And so far I haven't really had much apart from when we first arrived and that was largely due to the dark, gloomy apartment we were in.