BUILDING SOCIAL NETWORKS ABROAD 125 can realistically integrate with the local population. If you are moving from the United States to the United Kingdom, there are no obstacles stopping you from communicating with the locals, while if you relocate from the United States to China, you must overcome the language barrier and a relatively hermetic culture to get to understand how the average person lives and thinks. Still, even in the most culturally remote places, both types of relation- ships can add considerable value. · Meeting Locals Meeting locals gives you an opportunity to experience a foreign