How Do Nomads Make Friends?

Oh the assumptions people make! Do you know how many times we've been asked how we make friends on the road? So many people assume that since we live this nomadic life and are not in one community all the time that it must be very difficult (or even impossible) to make and sustain friendships. When we first started out it was something we wondered about ourselves. The truth is we've all found it to be a different, very different, but also very rewarding process.

You see, when you live in the same community and develop your relationships the way most people do, there are advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is that you see the same people regularly as you are in relatively close proximity to them. You know their name, maybe their job, how many kids they have, and perhaps a bit more. Despite being around a lot of the same people, I doubt you know very many of them very well. At least that was our experience.

The disadvantages are that because you are near each other, oftentimes the quality of visits isn't great, or they don't happen at all. Meaning that we often take it for granted that we can see each other whenever we want and therefore, visits are generally much shorter and quality get-togethers are more spread apart, and the acquaintance you wanted to get to know better, had every intention of getting to know better, remains an acquaintance. I mean think about how many times you had the best intention to have coffee with someone, or dinner together, but it just never happens. Because life, right? We would see the same people, but it was mainly limited to saying hi at the homeschool co-op pick up/drop off, or the occasional get together. Our best intentions of having that coffee or dinner often never manifested into reality, or if it did, it was a rare occurrence. Maybe you're better at that than me 🤷🏼‍♀️

The nomadic community is very tight knit. I know more families better than I did when we were stationary, and we were no hermits! I think it comes down to knowing that our time together is limited so we all want to maximize it while we have it. We DO have those coffee meetups bc if they don't happen tomorrow, they may never happen and we both know it. We go on hikes together, camp together, hang out (almost) every night around the campfire, we talk, we share, we encourage, we laugh, and sometimes we cry. It's a safe space to be vulnerable with others who go very quickly from being strangers to like family. We live similar lives, we connect over our shared aggravations, struggles, and triumphs. It's like friendship condensed to it's most important parts, and I LOVE it.

We also get to have longer visits with family and old friends because we can stay

longer, and we all know that our time together is limited so we spend more of it intentionally. We have gone from being able to see family only once a year to now 3-4 times per year, and we can stay a full week or longer instead of only a few days. Same goes with old friends.

I would say that we have a very rich and rewarding social life, despite the fear and uncertainty around this topic. One that is able to go deeper, stay longer, and really savor the sweetness of good friends and the love and lives we share. So if you've been concerned about how a nomadic life will impact you socially, know that there are many of us out there, overwhelmingly wonderful people that you will come in contact with and hopefully forge deep and meaningful friendships of your own.

Tips for Making Friends as a Nomad:

1. Join a Club for Travelers

There are lots of them out there. These groups often hold meetups which are perfect for finding friends! Finding people with similar interests, life situations, ages, etc is very easy to do!

One of our favorites and where we've met the majority of our friends is Fulltime Families. As the name suggests, this group is for fulltime traveling adults with children. We have done Halloween meetups, Yellowstone hangouts, and my girls' favorite the Teen Rally where they have things like mock interviews, resume building workshops, and even a PROM and GRADUATION! Yes you can attend prom even while being a nomad.

Use this link to get 10% your Fulltime Families membership!

Another group that is great is Escapees. The Xscapees is the group geared specifically to working age adults. We did the balloon fiesta with them last year and it was a great experience! They have a ton of sub-groups (as does FTF) where you can meet people with similar interests.

Use this link to get 10% your Escapees membership!

2. Join a Campground Membership

A lot of fulltime travelers will stay put for a month or more at a time over the winter. This can be a great time to get to know people better as you are in the same location for a longer period of time. One of the more popular places to stay for families is Thousand Trails. This is a network of campgrounds and they have varying levels of membership. Most of the fulltime families we know use Thousand Trails or TT as it's often referred to.

Get $100 off a TT camping pass with my referral link here!

3. Join Facebook Groups

There are a TON of RV/Travel nomad fb groups, just search them and you will see what I mean! Introduce yourself, and be intentional about connecting with others.

4. Talk to People

Shocking right? Seems so simple on the surface, but it takes practice and intention (and a little courage). Be willing to strike up conversations with other travelers who are staying in the same RV park, campground, or boondocking site. Invite them over for a campfire (if you feel comfortable, safety first!) at night or a cup of coffee in the morning. What you will quickly find is that nomads are not pretentious, we just want to hang out it doesn't matter if your makeup is on or your hair is flawless. We don't care, we want the real you!

5. Don't Be Afraid to Feel Foolish

It takes courage to talk to a complete stranger. It can feel awkward at first and like forced interaction at the beginning of events. I promise you this will wear off. The more you get to know nomads, the more you will realize that they are some of the most accepting, non-judgemental, non-drama loving people you will ever meet. It is so refreshing! Now of course I am speaking in generalities but the vast majority of the time this has been true for me. Sure I've felt awkward inviting someone I barely know over for coffee, but now we're great friends! And this has happened multiple times! You'd be surprised how quickly you can connect with a fellow traveler. So be bold. Be Brave! Go introduce yourself, you won't regret it!

I hope this post helps shed some light on the nomadic social life! Safe travels and we'll see ya down the road!

Happy Travels!