Cities like Paris, London, New York, and Dubai have a magnetic pull.
They attract dreamers, creators, and doers from every corner of the world. There’s opportunity, energy, and inspiration everywhere.
But if you’ve moved here from abroad, you’ll know this already: it’s easy to feel lonely.
Thousands of expats live here. They work hard, try to adapt to the lifestyle, search for apartments, and get lost in bureaucracy. They find their favorite cafés, sign up at a gym, and try their best to blend in.
The expat community?
It exists. But it’s not always easy to find.
These cities are huge – and yet sometimes you feel lonely
Despite the crowds, Paris can feel like a maze, London like a whirlwind, New York like an island where everyone’s already part of something, and Dubai like an airport.
You came for good reasons: a career move, freedom, creativity, maybe a little cinematic romance about life in the city.
But once you land, reality hits.
You barely know anyone. Or you do, but not deeply.
You don’t fully understand the local codes yet, and talks never go beyond the basics. This makes it hard to truly feel part of things.
There are many groups, but few real connections.
“International Meetup,” “English-speaking Community,” “Expats in Paris” — the groups are there.
Facebook. Meetup. Telegram. WhatsApp.
But let’s be honest:
Most of the time, you will end up in online communities where most of them are filled with job posts, housing ads, or unanswered questions and rarely anything that leads to real-life connections.
And when something does happen, it can feel a little awkward.
You find yourself standing in a circle of people who all seem slightly out of place.
No one’s quite sure how to start a conversation, and before long, you’re back scrolling through your phone, wondering if this is really what “being social” looks like.
The truth is:
Making friends as an adult is hard.
Especially when you don’t live in a shared flat or work in a company with weekly happy hours.
What’s actually missing: a simple evening with no pressure, no expectations.
Many expats aren’t searching for a huge social circle.
They just want to go out for dinner without sitting alone.
They want a real conversation without having to explain everything.
An evening where they don’t wonder if they “belong.”
That’s Where Timeleft Comes In.
How does Timeleft work?
Timeleft is simple and fun.
It removes complex logistics and intimidating first meetings, and most importantly it offers a structured environment that fosters deeper interactions.
No need to hunt for a group or to convince anyone to join.
You just need to sign up, answer a few personality questions, mark your calendar for Wednesday, and Timeleft takes care of the rest.
You’ll discover the nationalities and sector of activities of your group table the day before, and the restaurant’s name on the morning of the event.
The rest unfolds naturally during the evening.
Just show up. Enjoy your time. Have great conversations.
Because in the end, it’s often what felt uncertain at first that makes the evening unforgettable.
Timeleft isn’t a workshop or an evening with name tags.
It’s about face-to-face interactions and sharing unique moments over a delicious meal.
And most importantly, an evening where you finally don’t feel like an outsider.
These cities are as colorful as their expat communities
You can live in Paris, London, New York or anywhere else in the world for years without truly feeling connected.
Or you can choose to do it differently.
Timeleft is a small first step, and maybe the start of life-changing friendships.
That’s not all, with Timeleft Repeat, a new feature launched recently, you can now invite the people with whom you connected at your Timeleft dinner to join your next one.
Turning acquaintances into meaningful relationships.
Slowly but surely, you are not “the expat” anymore, but simply a person who belongs.
The expat community is not invisible – it is just scattered
Timeleft brings it together.
Not in group chats. Not at massive events.
But over dinner.
👉 Want to join us? Come dine with us 😉
Just sign up. Show up. Take a seat.
And maybe you’ll no longer feel like a stranger in Paris, New York, London, or Dubai, and start to feel a little more at home.
