*'I remember sweating my ass off and having the feeling of being disoriented. Was I coming from the east or from the west and damn why is my maps not working so I can check it out. Just keep the ocean on the left hand side and you will find it. It is an island, you really can't get lost.* 

*I found the place where everyone was to enthousiastic about. I took a seat at the bar. The bartender looked at me and asked if I was there for only drinks or also for food. I answered that I was there for food and ordered my drink with it. I was eating alone at the bar and I wondered if my whole experience would turn out that way. Alone at the bar. How wrong was I with that'*
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https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/08/28/16/12/airplane-2690200_960_720.jpg
[Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/vliegtuig-maho-beach-saint-martin-2690200/)
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The weekend engagement topic hosted by @galenkp is actually a cool one where people will be writing about their firsts. This could be about meeting their partner for the first time, having a first pet or abroad their first abroad experience. So much to choose from, because I can make 1000 stories about all of these topics. But we are sticking to being abroad this time.

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<center><img src="https://images.hive.blog/DQmW9YowVJzzJr1obqtTTcHLvdWZHm6CCkKfyFAGbJxkP3J/LadiesOfHive-Divider.png"></center>
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## More social
When I first moved to the Caribbean I was shocked  about how open and welcoming people were and how eager they were to take your alongside with them and invite new people they hardly know to their bbqs. It was a refreshing thing compared to our Dutch culture where everyone has their own little group and does stuff with that group. New to this one? Heck, integrate for a year mayeb before you can expect an invitation to the house *if you are lucky*.
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https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/08/31/12/11/alcohol-2700529_960_720.jpg
[Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/alcohol-bar-strand-strand-partij-2700529/)
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So after my alone-at-the-bar experience on the first day being jetlagged and wondering what I had gotten myself into I drove around the island the next day and was so pleasantly surprised about how beautiful everything was. The combination of mountains and azurblue seas was absolutely stunning and it was crazy to think I would call this place home for the next couple of months.

My first random contact was a dude on the beach who told me he was a DJ and I could always tag along with him. Up until now I don't know if this was bullsh&t and if I would be tricked into a date-rape or that this was a genuine invitation. Both would totally be possible. 

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<center><img src="https://images.hive.blog/DQmW9YowVJzzJr1obqtTTcHLvdWZHm6CCkKfyFAGbJxkP3J/LadiesOfHive-Divider.png"></center>
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But with my first week of work I immediately got an invitation from a  female colleague to join her on a boat in the weekend and I was surprised to the fullest. Someone I had only known for a day gave an invitation to tag along? I thought it was so welcoming and fantastic and I was super enthousiastic. Another colleague asked if I wanted to join to a salsa bar that seem week in the evening. 

From that moment on the social started to go and this literally only took a week.
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https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2020/03/10/13/53/tourism-4919080_960_720.jpg
[Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/nl/photos/toerisme-boot-cancun-vakantie-4919080/)
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I was baffled on how easy this all went. I guess the one thing that you need is *to actually go somewhere* and maybe not alone (because this gives a wrong idea) and from there on if you have a tony bit of social skills it will all be fine.

It is funny how this totally worked in the Caribbean and now I am living back in Europe I kinda fell back into the not being so welcome to new people again. I am aware of this and try to actively work on this. I try to go to the new students and take them along, ask them about their personal lives, make them laugh and defrost for a bit.

But taking them along with me in the weekend on a boat? Nehhh, I guess I wouldn't do that. But what is the difference between the Caribbean and here than? That difference is my own mindset.