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Life as a digital nomad means you are incredibly adept at navigating the terrain of the world, both metaphorically and literally. That digital savvy comes in handy, particularly when you’re missing friends from all around the world and you just want them to come by for a weekend, or there’s a major life event that you’ve been tasked with coordinating.
Changing time zones, distance, and everyone’s schedules come with challenges and opportunities. This is why, with intentional planning and the right mindset, you can create lasting memories with friends and loved ones. Let’s show you everything you need to know.
Make Gatherings Unforgettable
Whether you are tasked with organizing a stag weekend in Lisbon or a gathering with friends, you need to anchor an event that covers a lot of ground. A place like Lisbon is affordable and lively, meaning that beyond something like a stag do, where typically people go from bar to bar, you can organize boat parties, historic tours, or go-karting.
Lisbon has logistics that make things straightforward, not to mention budget-conscious flights and a friendly atmosphere, meaning the group events are going to result in shared experiences.
Digital Tools for Scheduling
Beyond WhatsApp, you may want to look at scheduling platforms like Google Calendar or Doodle to help everybody with their availability. As useful as WhatsApp conversations are, trying to organize them into some discernible order can be a minefield.
This is why getting those mutually agreeable time slots for reunions can help you track everything from birthdays to travel dates and holidays, meaning that you can minimize those missed anniversaries. A little planning with the right tools can go a long way.
Tapping Into Local Communities
Each new city brings opportunities to expand your social circle, not just reconnect with known friends, and this is something that digital nomads can be foolish not to embrace. There are plenty of Facebook groups for digital nomads, co-working spaces, and even local WhatsApp hubs to help you find kindred spirits.
Environments like hostel lounges or co-working cafes are designed for new connections and often come with ready-made social calendars. In cities favored by digital nomads, multiple group events can be attended in the space of a week, and being proactive can turn these acquaintances into lifelong friendships.
Balancing Virtual Hangouts With Physical Reunions
Regular virtual hangouts may be something that, for most people, was associated with the pandemic, but there’s a lot to be said for virtual hangouts like Discord and shared multiplayer online game platforms to keep bonds strong. When you combine these plans for periodic physical reunions, this means each catch-up is always significant.
Sometimes, if we haven’t seen someone for a long time and we’re only in contact with them via text or WhatsApp, those major conversations can take a while to warm up in person. We’re all used to saying a handful of sentences, thinking that’s the entire conversation these days because of text, WhatsApp, and email. This is why those virtual hangouts are a great opportunity to train yourself and remember that being sociable is an excellent skill we do need to hone.
Setting Up Traditions or Recurring Events
Annual trips, rotating reunions in new cities, or digital book clubs can make gatherings meaningful. For a core group of friends who have busy lives, picking a different city each year can spread that travel opportunity and planning responsibility.
Recurring events help everyone prioritize friendships, even as schedules, duties, and locations change, meaning these rituals become an anchor that we all look forward to, no matter how much our individual lives change.
Initiate the Events
As a digital nomad, you may be someone who feels that you’re not part of regular life. All your friends may live back at home, or they are in three different countries, and this is why it’s a good idea for you to take the initiative. Get-togethers, mini reunions, or online catchups are key.
If plans fall through, just remember to stay positive because even last-minute overlaps and spontaneous meetups can sometimes be the most memorable. Staying open to unexpected opportunities helps to avoid regrets, particularly over missed connections with friends you haven’t seen for years.
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Remember, We All Have Different Budgets and Different Priorities
It can be very easy to think that we have it hard because we are going from place to place and really working hard for that next paycheck. The fact is, we’re all struggling in our own ways because of more than just money. There are, of course, travel costs, but there are also working hours and responsibilities that differ between friends. Some are raising families, some are raising businesses, and some are raising hell.
When planning gatherings, give options, whether it’s a cheap camping trip for those who need to save, group Airbnbs for celebratory events, or city escapes, but also remember things like loyalty cards, points, or flexible travel dates that can be used where possible. It’s about keeping those costs transparent and planning as far ahead as possible so that everybody feels included rather than facing those last-minute pressures.
Make Every Meet-Up Count, No Matter the Size
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We can easily place pressure on ourselves for an event to be grandiose, but when you think back to the last time you had a major event, whether it was a wedding or a stag do, was it those small conversations that you remember more than anything? Was it those things you hadn’t planned for and those unexpected surprises that loom large?
When you focus on quality rather than quantity of interactions, these small and short encounters could be all you need to deepen long-distance friendships.
Through some of these practices, digital nomads can turn geography into great experiences. A nomad’s social life can be rich, but if you feel like you’re missing out on important things, you need to be a master of coordination. The next time friends gather to plan, it may be a great wedding, and you’ll have a head start on how to do it and make every moment count.
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