I just moved back to the states after 8 years doing the digital nomad thing and while I totally agree taking a friend or SO with you is ideal, you develop the skill of feeling comfortable opening up to strangers. I used to be completely unable to do this and now I can chat up anyone anywhere. Unfortunately I find that most people can't reciprocate, increasingly so these days. I was severely disappointed when I moved to Austin and got nothing but cold shoulders when trying to start conversations with people in public (I had formed the impression that Austin would be a friendlier place than it is in reality; people talk a big game here but when it comes down to it they are just as self-absorbed as people in any other tech hub). The first six months are brutal but eventually you will get over it out of necessity. I don't want to downplay how rough the adjustment period is, though. It sucks and it reduced me to tears nearly every day.

I am not a Digital Nomad but an expat, and IMO it's not just about being able to open up to strangers but being welcomed by them, I've had people literally tell me they just expect me to leave after one year because that's just what people do here, they are protective, they are okay socializing with me but they don't involve me within their circles because I can't speak the language.

Find yourself some "real" Austinites. Something like 4/5ths of Austin's population is "foreign", and this figure is pretty close to literal. It's a big east-coast city in Texas now. But there are "real" Austinites that are every bit the wonderful stereotype you've heard. They have started moving out of Austin lately though, to cities like Elgin, San Marcos, New Braunsfels, or Fredricksburg. There's still some local flavor south of the river in Austin. But everywhere else are just Los Angeles and East Coast transplants that brought their road rage and shitty attitude along with them.

Thanks for the reply! Very much appreciated.