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Comment by givemeethekeys | Hacker News Reader

I’ve spent a lot of time in Canada, and the USA. Before you move to Canada, know that the winters are long and dark. You will need to make it your mission to pick up a winter activity (even if you’re feeling too old for that). This is how you will connect with people and make real Canadian friends and feel at home, and look forward to winters.

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Most Europe is on similar lattitude to major Canadian cities, and yet people generally don't do winter sports (so, nights are as long, and winter is probably harsher than in coastal Canadian cities). They may take one ski trip per year, but generally, during winter, they don't do much things outside, apart maybe from some walks.

Despite most Europeans not participating, I'd recommend anyone new moving to Europe do the same - find winter activities to participate in.

In the West, Europeans have a reputation (not sure if true) of being socially conservative - they don't talk to strangers and you can't easily make friends. I'd suggest that the most natural way of making friends in any environment is to find activities are fun - perhaps a little challenging - that the locals enjoy.

I think more people in Europe don't find having random "friends" (that you can pick up at such activities) all that valueable. For example, as far as I know, there's no tradition in any European country of just sitting up at the bar and striking random conversations with strangers, like there is in US. We're much more about fewer, but deeper friendships, and don't mind solitude as much. There's way less extraversion in here than in the US for example. I'd say that, overall, we have a calmer and more thoughtful culture over here, whereas Americans love to be busy and frantic.

Would you please give some examples of winter activity to make friends?

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