By Saman Sayed

“It’s too cold here, life is hard, I miss my family, I want to move back” , are the cries of most women when they first move to Canada. The change in culture, climate and lifestyle is hard to accept when you’re doing it alone.  Luckily Canada is home to people from all walks of life, so youre bound to find the “comfortable fit”  of friends. Of course missing family and friends back home is inevitable, and certainly they cannot be replaced, but now it’s time to make new memories with some new friends. Here are a few ways for you to be the new social bug in town.

  • Take your little ones to the government funded mommy and toddler programs, like those held at the Public Libraries, Readiness and Early Childhood centers. You are sure to find a group of mommies who face the same daily struggles you do with kids.

  • Volunteer at your children’s school, the nearby mosque, hospital, or women’s center.

  • Join an activity , or register your kids for the amazing recreational sports programs offered at the community center. There are many mom n’ tot programs too.

  • Facebook has it all – from groups of Muslim mommies, to strong Muslim entrepreneur sisters

  • If the time is right, register at an educational institute for further education. No better place to make friends than school!

  • Attend to local community festivities such as the Eid dinners, masjid potlucks, or block parties.

  • Share your own culture and traditions with your community. Also, encourage your children to tell their friends and classmates about their favourite memories of their home country.

  • Keep in touch with friends and family back home. We have so many ways to make those thousands of kilometers feel much smaller. No matter the time difference you can find a few moments a day or week to send a message, a quick video or have a short chat with the ones you miss most.

There are many ways to cope with the sudden loneliness if you are willing. Canada is full of beautiful places to visit, go out, explore with your new friends and send some pictures of your new memories back home to loved ones!

About the Author

Saman Sayed is a mother of two kids. She also blogs about traveling with kids:  www.teenytravelers.wordpress.com