Co-founder of Next Locals, Robin Kennedy-Simons lives in the south of France with her husband, Josh, and their two boys, Luke and Jake. Next Locals is a community that helps people living abroad find connection, friendship, and a sense of home wherever they are in the world.
In this article, Robin explores the real challenges and rewards of starting a new life abroad. After moving to France as a family from the Netherlands, she discovered that the key to feeling at home wasn’t the beautiful scenery or the mediterranean lifestyle, but the people. Her and Josh’s experience inspired the creation of Next Locals, a growing community designed to help others forge authentic connections and thrive abroad.
Next Locals is now expanding, with new communities launching soon, and they’re currently looking for passionate community leaders to help set up groups in Madrid and Barcelona.
Finding Connection Abroad: A Real Story from France
I’m Not Lonely, But Life Abroad is Isolating
When I first moved abroad to France, my husband and I were beyond excited. Everything was new, and we couldn’t wait to explore the region and start building a life here. We’d left behind our friends and routines in search of a better quality of life. And we absolutely found that in the south of France.
Coming from the Netherlands, we were a bit fed up with the constant hustle and complain-brag culture. The “maintaining a Porsche is so expensive” type of comments. My father passed away when I was only six, and after that I grew even closer to my mum. Many years later, she fell in love again with someone from the same nationality who had been living in France for over twenty years.
One day she asked if I’d be okay with her moving to France with him. And more specifically, if I would follow her if she did. I was happy for her but couldn’t picture myself living in a different country. At the same time, I couldn’t imagine being far from her either. So I discussed it with my husband, and he couldn’t have been happier. He’s the exact opposite of me. Always dreaming of moving abroad. He’d been pushing for it since we met.
My mum moved first, and not long after, we did too. The south of France was everything we had envisioned. Sunny days, delicious food, the apéritif culture, and a sense of adventure in everything we did. But after doing all the typical sightseeing tours, things started to feel different. I was missing something. Strangely enough, even though I’d moved with my husband and was close to my mum, I started to feel isolated.
And that’s because I was. I was still messaging my close friends back home, but once you lose proximity, you start missing the small, ordinary moments that used to happen without planning, the simple comfort of just being around each other. Our business was doing well, but we’d been working remotely for years and our presence was rarely needed anywhere.
Refusing to move back, we started attending local networking events but they didn’t quite feel like us. They were either focused on nationality or catered to retirees. Nothing wrong with that, but again, not for us. We’re young, ambitious, open-minded, and love talking about the exciting things ahead in life.
Why Connection Matters When You Live Abroad
My husband hates dinners on a first encounter because the idea of being stuck with someone he doesn’t click with terrifies him. And walking around with a name tag, pitching myself, or listening to long presentations isn’t my idea of connection either. We just wanted something relaxed and intentional. A space where you can meet people you truly click with.
Because that’s what really matters. When there’s a click, everything else naturally follows. The coffees, the playdates, the hikes, even potential business opportunities. So that’s exactly what we created. Since then, we’ve built an incredibly rich social life. Much more than before, actually. We’ve met amazing friends through the community. We got married here and I gave birth to our two beautiful boys here. I can confidently say that we are happy and we truly feel at home.
From Isolation to Inspiration: The Birth of Next Locals
It all started by showing up to an afterwork meetup. And we just kept organising them. Now we’re helping others do the same. Starting communities in other countries, making moving abroad easier, and helping people feel at home like we do. Because the best, and really the only way, to feel at home abroad is by rebuilding your social circle. That’s what makes you a true local.
Could you become a Next Local community leader in your city?
It’s our goal to open more cities soon and that’s why I’m looking for community leaders who want to host and run Next Locals meetups in their city. We handle all the heavy lifting such as: the playbooks, software, promotion, and support so you can focus on what truly matters: bringing people together. Is that something for you? If so, please apply here.
Exclusive Membership Offer for MumAbroad Readers
MumAbroad readers can enjoy a full year for free, with promo code MUMABROAD. Find your local community and sign up here.
This article was written for our December 2025 Newsletter. Sign up here to receive our monthly updates, stories and resources from relocation specialists, education experts, entrepreneurs and international families who have built a life abroad, straight to your inbox.
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