It’s hard to think of any single element more vital to your cultural involvement. Where you live is where your life is exprienced.

In this age of remote work where you live is often time going to also be where you work. 

If you want to communicate anything in a new culture you want to maximize involvement. Where are you going to be more involved than where you live and work. 

If you allow yourself to be sucked for long into an expat neighborhood, good luck with language fluency and intercultural skills. 

So, revisit your CQ Drive to assure you’ve got motivation appropriate to your ideals, then to the best of your CQ Knowledge determine who are the kinds of people you want to assimilate with in your host culture. Do your field research, discerning where they live. Then, hit the streets!

Be ready for a great challenge! But take the challenge! 

In some cultures houses or apartments tend toward very small spartan shelters or mega mansions with very little in between. Unless you’re Elon or Teresa, you’re probably not interested in either of these. So, what to do when nothing workable naturally presents?

One diligent expat colleague got frustrated driving through target neighborhoods and decided to walk every street in every section of town where her family had interest. She found the ideal house that everyone agreed they would have never seen via a drive by. A not too fast survey by bike might work as well. 

Don’t compromise too soon on your location. Pay extra money to stay in a hotel or whatever or a bit longer in order to get something that really places you where you want to be. You’ll experience the benefits every week from interactions where you shop, exercise, take your kids to play and eat out. 

And don’t overuse food delivery apps. Intentionally get out of your home and about. Get seen in your immediate neighborhood so that people begin to realize that you must not be some random tourist passing through but actually live there. Talk with the people at the next food stall table. 

My wife, Julie, often walked out of our local traditional market past a stall where a local seamstress has her shop. They’d nod and smile at each other. One day Julie paused to chat with the lady. She immediately grinned broadly and exclaimed, “I wondered for a long time when you’d stop to talk with me and become my friend!” They became, and have now for years, been best friends!

We’re not making this up. We’re betting that some of your best friends will emerge from these casual encounters. 

And the more friends you have in a place, the more likely you are to be content in a cultural context, and the more likely you will have rich opportunities to positively impact them with your gifts and talents.