[dmuhs]

Since a few months I am living in Panama City (Panamá) for work. Of course I met many people at my work place. However, there are some other approaches that helped me a lot:

1. Couchsurfing. Travelers and hosts are everywhere and many of them love to share their experiences. I messaged different people whether they're up for a coffee/ beer and met their friends. It didn't take long until I was part of their social circle and met amazing people.

2. User groups. I've been a Python developer for a long time and in the bigger cities there is almost always a user group - even if it's just students looking for help with their exam preparation.

3. Sports. I don't have to mention how important it is to stay healthy and fit. So I checked out a local boxing club. Enjoying sports (IMO especially contact sports) with others creates some special kind of friendship.

All of these points (plus the obvious social interactions with coworkers) helped me a lot to get set in this city, but also find travel partners and improve my Spanish. All you have to do is bring yourself to go out and talk to as many people as you can. After all, they're all different and you never know what you get.