h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Anyone have any good ideas about what to do when you suddenly realise you're in another country with no family, no friends, and no dog??
I miss my dog.
I am not particulary good in "breaking the ice"... talking to ppl I don't know.. and that will be neccessary to get to know ppl.

If you're a student at a university or similar, join some student clubs or societies. They can be an excellent way to meet people and make new friends. Many people I met in my college caving club are still really close friends 15 or more years later.
If (like me) you're not terribly good at breaking the ice, it might be worth trying to find a club that isn't massively big, and where you actually have something to *do* other than just talk.
Good luck.

Yeah.. guess you are right.
Still, it's scaring me. Especially the part of moving in with strangers. Maybe I have some kind of fear that they will eat me alive for dinner..

Without wanting to sound like a therapist, *everyone* you meet is a stranger at first. Some may turn out to be good friends, some may turn out to be assholes, most will just turn out to be ordinary people.

Any of them may could be just as uncertain as you are, or even more so, even if they're trying not to show it. Just try to find the people that aren't pretending too hard to be something they're not, and I'm sure you'll be fine.

In a few weeks, the chances are you'll probably look back on how you were thinking at the moment and wonder what you were worrying about. Try not to worry too much - if you spent all your time thinking about all the things that *could* go wrong, you'd probably never cross the road, or get into any kind of powered vehicle.

If you're a student Vakuum, you're beyond help....

More sensibly, almost all new students will be unfamiliar with the place and with the people. I turned up at University some 200 miles from home and with no pre-arranged contacts whatsoever. Thinking back, I'm quite surprised at how positive and forward I was for a comparatively shy person. I met many people in the first few weeks and joined a few clubs. I only stuck with one of the clubs and many of the people I met I never saw again after those first weeks. However, I met people who are still god friends years later.

Take it one step at a time and go for a club or activity you fancy. There's no ral penalty for failing to stick at something, but there are great potential human rewards.

All the best!

Huw