Recreation and the Third Place

A Green Card allows you to live and work indefinitely in the United States, but what does it mean to live in the United States. It isn’t just breathing, eating and sleeping, rather social engagement is necessary for successful integration into the US.

There is a concept in most societies which is referred to as a third place. The first and second places would be work and the home, but what is there to do with the other third of one’s days? Third places exist to build community bonds and provide people with the chance to commune somewhere other than work and home.

A third place can really be anywhere one chooses to spend a large amount of time. There are a number of standard third places that you may even be able to identify from your home country.

Here are some examples of third places:

  • Barbershops
  • Bars
  • Cafés
  • Religious institutions like churches, mosques or synagogues.
  • Parks
  • Spas
  • Coffee shops
  • Or anywhere else where people can gather.

The purpose of these places is to connect people within a community and to provide very necessary socialization for the people.

Finding a third place in your community will help you better adjust to life in the United States. Moving to a new place is hard, you’ll be away from your family and friends, but the fortunate thing is that you can make new friends at third places.

After a few years of permanent residency, you can apply for citizenship and that will make it even easier to help your family immigrate to the United States. But until then you may find that adjusting to your new home will be easier if you can find some new friends to talk to and converse with.