I've been traveling full- or part-time for the last 10+ years, and I've adopted the strategy of rapidly developing friendships. The person who sells bread, the person I see on walk after walk, the person I'm meeting for the first or 4th time... I'm just open-minded and open-hearted, genuinely curious, generous with my time and attention... and it's awesome. With just a few interactions, I feel like I am with my people, that I am valued, that I am around people I appreciate.

Occasionally I'm met with suspicion (some people don't believe that I am seriously that curious/excited about XYZ that we are doing together), but overall most people seem to appreciate the ready camaraderie. Occasionally I get burned by forming too deep of a connection too quickly with someone who turns out to be untrustworthy, but time has proven that that is a worthwhile risk to take on.

I think of community as a pyramid – there are infrequent acquaintances at the base, and best friends and family at the top. All of it matters. My strategy is basically to respect the entire pyramid, showing up as fully as possible for everyone.

Forming friendships rapidly is not easy – it has taken me many years to learn to soften myself and open the mind, but I do keep getting better at it, for everyone's benefit. It greatly helps to share projects (in my case, mostly rock climbing).

Note that walking (to the grocery store, when bored, when the sun is setting) is a phenomenal way to feel connected with nearby people.