One thing that can be difficult when you get into a new place is discovering where you belong in that place. Think about when you start a new school year: it takes some time to meet new friends and to get to know your teacher before you feel really comfortable. You might miss your friends from your old class and not know exactly how to make new friends when you start the new class. It is the same thing when you go abroad to a new place!
When I first arrived in Switzerland, I did not know one person here! At first, I was intimidated by the idea of building new friendships and meeting new people. The language barrier in Switzerland made it even harder since most people speak French where I live. To really integrate into a new community, I found that I needed to step out of my comfort zone a little bit, work on my French, and make a real effort to meet new people.
To do this, I signed up to meet a tandem partner. The goal of a tandem partner is to meet up each week and practice speaking other languages together. My partner, Audrey, is from the Swiss Alps and has lived in Switzerland her whole life. Her first language is French and she wants to learn English, so we meet up to just talk and teach each other things each week!
