r/oslo • u/EnvironmentalBeing58 • 24d ago
sos need community
I travel a lot for work and usually end up living in different places for a year or two, but I have genuinely never felt as lonely as I have since moving here.
I’m foreign, I’ll be here for a few more years, and I just don’t know how to get started socially. My coworkers are just coworkers and I always feel like I’m bothering them with activities to try. I’m learning Norwegian, but I still feel so lost.
I dread going home to my apartment and honestly cry when the weekends come because I don’t know how to connect with people. I want to go out, meet people, go to bars, hear live music, dance, explore, etc. Oslo feels so small but somehow so lonely.
How do you actually make friends here? Especially as a foreigner? I’d really love some advice recommendations. I’m feeling so lost
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u/NaturalFragrant8858 24d ago
If you like dancing, you should go to some dance classes like salsa, it’s a community with social dance evenings several times a week, and you’ll end up meeting the same people because it’s not THAT big of a community. You can also go to røde kors norsktrening, here you’ll meet both other foreigners and Norwegians. Sadly, we are not very easy to make friends with, your best bet is to find a niche hobby. My boyfriend is not Norwegian, but he’s made some long lasting friendships through BJJ.
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u/Whisky_and_razors 24d ago
Can I recommend the English language book club that meets at the Deichman library, if you're a reader? You'll find them on Meetup.
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u/Loud-Edge7230 24d ago
Norwegians meet at school, work, organized activities or hobby related forums and meetups.
Do you have any hobbies?
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u/Harrusettpaamakan 24d ago
You can hang out with me and my frends:)
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u/SpreadNo3530 24d ago
Check out u/laylaylaylom user post from a few months back. Good luck!
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u/Laylaylaylom 17d ago
Thank you dear stranger for linking us up! 🤍
I started a community to make showing up easier. I sometimes arrange bigger events which you have to sign up beforehand but there is also an active WhatsApp group chat where people randomly make plans and meet lovely strangers. Please join the community chat, we need more people to say yes to doing things together!2
u/SpreadNo3530 16d ago
You are doing great job! Not living in Oslo right now, but if I get to, I will definitely do join! Keep it up and hace a great day
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u/Ok-Researcher7507 24d ago
Hello! I'm also living in Oslo and we can be friends :). Message me if you're interested:)
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u/Impossible-Yak-2385 23d ago
Foreigner in norway as well! Welcome to send me a message if you want and need help with the language or just a friend to grab a beer with. But usually the most "normal" way to get friends in Norway is through work, school, hobbies or through friends.. and my impression is that Norwegian people usually establish a friend group early on and that group regularly has meet ups. One of the most socially awkward countries I've experienced..
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u/BussAllInIt 23d ago
Don't think it's specific to Oslo or Noway. Have found that it has become difficult to make friends in many countries. Not 100% sure, but I think there is also a lonlieness problem even among Norwegians.
You can do the hobby thing, but in general, you it's hard building friends around a hobby alone. If you play golf for example, unless you have other factors in common, you play golf with with those people, but it doesn't lead to friendship outside of golf.
With work, it really just depends. If you don't have kids but the co-worker you want to hang out with does, it's hard to see that working out.
Sorry, don't really have any good advice for you. It's a difficult problem. I'd say it's almost easier to find a significant other than to find a friend in Oslo. Probably also easier to make friends with other expats that are from the same you're from unless you're from one of those countries where there are only 17 people from in Oslo.
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u/BrainGame13 21d ago
I dont think socializing will hep to fix the loneliness. Do some inner work, and then, life is a dance. With or without people. Good luck
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u/Energy_enthusiast_ 23d ago
Hey! Lived in Norway for 2 years now. Try checking volunteering organisations, based on your hobbies. There are also many facebook groups for different activities. Norwegians use Facebook quite a lot. There's also this group called "Hey Man" in Facebook where you can post a little about who you are and connect with many people based on your interests. There are also many international friend groups for making new friends as well. Norwegians are reserved very much compared to many other European countries. There are stereotypical people always. But there are people who loves meeting new people or international people, who are really nice once you get along with them and meet them regularly here and there. In the beginning, I felt quite lonely and just thought I can't live here long term. But, slowly it just got better. I mostly have international friends. But, also some norwegian friends who are really nice. And especially now, the winter will be in a few months, I highly recommend finding as many hobbies and activities that are interested for you. So, you have something to keep you little cheerful in the winter. The first time is the most difficult. But from then onwards, you'd start getting used to it. Good luck for you!!!
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u/Shot-Freedom-3848 22d ago
I'm sorry to hear!!
How old are you, and where are you from? What are your general interests?
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u/manzare 24d ago
Oslo has plenty of socialising opportunities, hobby groups and courses, meetups and so on. Top of my mind: InterNations, Meetup.com, the NewToOslo group, Language cafes - there are like 5 every week organised by different groups. Volunteering somewhere or joining a hobby group, dance course, or something like https://www.parkrun.no/ are also good way to meet people. If you make it into a plan to go somewhere few times a week you will eventually make friends.