I recently moved to the USA, from the middle east. My English is pretty good, and I don’t have a lot of trouble communicating with people at work or in stores. I also don’t know anyone here at all, outside of work. All my family is still back in Gaza, and I’ve been here over a year now, and still feel cut off from American people and culture.
How do you make friends and socialize here? How do I learn more about America and Americans culture? I know a bit about history, but not much about anything else.
I don’t drink or go to bars, for religious reasons. I have joined a couple of clubs based on hobbies, but still feel disconnected. I’m not sure how you socialize or meet new people here, in my family everyone came around your house all the times of the day, and here it seems like neighbors just stick to themselves. I don’t want to bug people or anoy them if that is not the customs here.
Also, what are your favorite parts of American culture and history? So far I have enjoyed Nascar and monster trucks very much, and studying mathematics.
Several people have recommended hiking groups, and that’s a really good option. Hikers are generally very friendly people, and you can meet a lot of very interesting people on the trails from all over the world. The United States is also gifted to have many vast and diverse wilderness parks that are federally protected, so you can definitely experience some absolutely wonderful landscapes that might be very different than where you grew up. We also have many thousands of miles of trails, including the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail, each of which is at least 2,100 miles long.
There are also very many other outdoor activities that Americans have long traditions with, so if you want exposed to more of the local cultures, find something to do outside that you’ve never tried before. Fishing, hunting, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and camping are just a few of the popular ones.