In order to truly feel at home in Germany, there are quite a few things that you may need. Friends, and feeling like you belong to a community is one of those things. Just because you are in Germany, doesn’t mean that you will have to abandon your English fully in order to take on the challenge of the German language. Though it is helpful to make new German friends and attend German courses in order to speed up the process of learning German, sometimes you’ll want something closer to home, sometimes you’ll want to converse in English, be able to debate things, and have meaningful conversations. Thankfully there are many groups, clubs and organization that have been created by people who had the same need and desires as you.
Once you are in Germany you may want to consider joining one of these groups and attending their regular meetings. You’ll be sure to make great friends, have amazing discussions and experience new places and new ideas. The possibility to find a group that focuses on pretty much any topic is there. And if you can’t seem to find one, then you can always take it upon yourself to create one.
Some of the most prominent groups, clubs and organizations amongst expatriates include:
The Women’s clubs: These clubs are specifically designed for women to come together and discuss their issues, likes, dislikes and is a great way to get support when you need it. The focus of these groups aren’t always heavy ones as the members of Women’s groups do tend to have a lot of fun and enjoy going on outings, wine tasting, cooking together and partaking in numerous other fun activities. This is also a great way to set up a play group for your children. And for those night when you would like some time without the kids, you’ll have lots of friends to call who will be more than willing to lend a hand in babysitting.
More information on Women’s clubs can be found on this website: www.fawco.org
The Federation of German-American Clubs has a rather large number of groups and is something that every member of the family can independently partake in. Your children will be able to find something of interest in the section dedicated to children and youth. You and your husband or wife can join the women’s or men’s sector and meet people with the same interests as you. Especially with getting integrated into the German society, it’s nice to talk to people who have gone through the same things as you to get to where they are now.
Business organizations are great for those who are looking to network. You will also be able to attend many events, fundraisers, banquets and be a part of a greater cause.
Refer to this website for more information: www.agbc.de
Other groups include:
The American Chamber of Commerce
Political parties.
The American Legion
The John-F.-Kennedy Friendship Center
Frankfurt-n-Motion Sports & Social group
