My husband often talks about the importance of relationships. Being someone who hasn’t been the best at maintaining friendships across the globe, and now that I’m a mother, I really understand what he means both from a personal and business perspective. Yes, it’s great to have a partner and a family, but friends are important. If not friends, then at least acquaintances that you enjoy spending time with.
Here are 6 tips to connecting with good people in Puglia.
1. Don’t Assume You Know Everything; Be Curious
Having lived in other cities and countries, I got the opportunity to explore different cultures, lifestyles, traditions, and people’s intentions through language and expression. When I first moved here, I didn’t just bring myself but all my life experiences with me, too. That means bias, opinions, observations and lessons. However, one thing I’ve really learned recently is that we shouldn’t assume to know everything and think we’re right. Stay open and curious to learn about people’s motives, cultural seasonings and hidden intentions without inserting your judgements based on life back in New York, London, Zurich, Beijing, Bangkok, or any other city on earth. Curiosity will keep you engaged and constantly learning to adjust to the mentality in Puglia; it’s not the same as in Milan, so keep that in mind. Your starting point should be “I know what I know, but I’d like to learn more.”
2. Good Friends Will Ease Loneliness
When we moved to Lecce, it was quite a change for my partner. Although the city is pretty and the historic town very charming, everyday life is another story – as with every other place on earth. I, on the other hand, am used to moving around, furnishing an apartment and starting from scratch, so I underestimated the impact of moving 100km south from the Itria Valley. Truth is, the Baroque capital doesn’t have much of a vibe but you can create one by cultivating friendships. Instead of staying at home and zooming with friends and family, make time each week to find people you can relate to and connect over a cup of coffee. Share perspectives and experiences and you’re sure to come home with insight that didn’t strike you before.
3. Find People Who Inspire You
If you’re an expert in something, great, keep it going and cultivate your skills. However, to improve your quality of life here as a newcomer in Puglia whether you’re an investor or moving here with your kids, try to find people who do completely different things so that you can learn something new, explore passions you haven’t pursued before, and venture to unknown places. Keeping home your comfort zone is a great basis and will make you feel safe, but push yourself to find people who lead different lives and do interesting things for work. You can always find inspiration by signing up for activities in nature, dance classes, cooking workshops and wine tastings by expert sommeliers.
4. Initiate, Follow-up…and Follow-Up Again
As expats and entrepreneurs, initiating is something that comes almost naturally. You may find that you’ll send a message and wait days for an answer; it’s not necessarily personal, people are simply caught up in their lives so whether you’ve just moved here, considering the move, or living here and not quite finding your way, remember the power of the follow-up. Don’t give up – be casual and friendly but also persistent. It’s a skill that many entrepreneurs already know, so make sure to apply that here when dealing with people and/or business matters in Puglia.
5. Leave Your Political Opinions at Home
Chances are you’ll come across people who don’t know anything about the political events in your country, or in troubled countries, so whether you’re joining a whatsapp group or real-life event, keep your political opinions to yourself and learn to just listen without getting into a heated debate. No one is right when it comes to these things, and you’ll never come out right (or in a good light), so leave those opinions at home. No one is really interested in talking about politics here (don’t get them started; local politics are hard enough as it is) and they won’t be able to contribute too much anyway; with the slow lifestyle, great food and beauty all around, you can let yourself forget and connect to the moment.
6. Ask, Ask, Ask!
Don’t be afraid or hesitant to ask for opinions, suggestions, recommendations, or even help. You’ll be surprised how many people, particularly locals, will be happy to help you. And you’ll be amazed at all the things you didn’t know; some things can’t be found on Google here so don’t be reluctant to ask for help.
Finally, it’s a big region but the world is small so you never know who you’ll meet from a simple introduction. If you’d like recommendations, need an introduction, or have some questions about living and working in Puglia, you’re welcome to get in touch.