Different path (I came in planning to stay, not nomadic first) but I'd add: local friendships and expat friendships filled genuinely different needs for me, and I stopped trying to make one substitute for the other. Might be worth not putting all the pressure on one type of connection.
Sofia Mendes 💬 Contributor
28 May 2026, 14:00
I'm more settled than a classic "nomad" at this point but the mindset lingers — I keep half-holding back from investing in local friendships because some part of me still feels temporary, even though I'm not really moving on any time soon. Anyone else caught in this in-between feeling?