Portuguese Furry Looking for Others Nearby

Dear Papabear,

How have you been?

Well, I'm here because I really need some help, and need to express what I'm feeling recently.

I became a furry 3 years ago ( 4 with this year), and unfortunately my country or dont know what the furry fandom is or have the wrong ideia about what's the furry fandom, I live in Portugal and in my whole life I never found a furry here.

I really love this fandom, create my fursona was a great help in my life, because I didn't like myself, but now that point changed. My problem is, I dont know how to integrate myself more in the fandom, since I never found any furries in my country and I only spoke to a few furries online. 
I like to make new friends but for some reason I feel very shy when I talk with someone in the fandom, I really need some help. This fandom was and is a very important thing in my life, I found it when I was in a deep depression, nobody understood me, I was victim of bullying in school, and one day, someone on twitter raised his paw at me and brought me to the fandom.

I dont know if the countries where the furry fandom is popular know our existence but well, with luck, one day maybe we will have a furry event/conventiom, if that happens my wish will be fulfilled. 

I started recently doing art (furry art/headshots/etc) because I think that's a great hobby and can bring me some extra money, since I'm also saving money to buy a fursuit, so I thought maybe that could help a bit to know new people, but I dont know, I really need help.

Can u give me some help or tips to socialize more in the fandom or just how to have more confidence? Or some way to know if there is some furries in my country?

The best for you!

-Taiga 

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Dear Taiga,

Bear hugs and welcome to the furry fandom :-3  The furry community originated in California, of course, but it is spreading internationally like wildfire. Even so, there are some countries, such as Portugal, where there are not a whole lot of furries (or they just don't know they are furries yet ;-).

I can give you a couple of leads that might help, however. There is a helpful website called FurryMap at https://furrymap.net/ that I checked out, and there are some furries in your area. There are, actually, probably many more than are listed on the map because only a small percentage of furries are registered on FurryMap. However, if you create an account on FurryMap (it is free) you can then click on the little markers you see on the website and try to contact those furries directly.

I also found a couple of furries listed on Wikifur at http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Category:Portugal. Not sure if you can reach them through there, but it is a start and gives you some leads.

Next, if you are able to travel, there are a number of conventions in Europe (sadly, none in Portugal, Spain, or even France, but many in Germany and some in England, Switzerland, Italy, etc. You don't necessarily have to go to these cons, but you might try contacting some and seeing if they might have some leads (they might know better about European resources than I do here in America).

If you are familiar with the social network Facebook, there is also a Portugal furries group there https://www.facebook.com/groups/820904181332707/ that has 141 members currently. It is a closed group, so you will have to ask them to let you in. Make sure your profile notes you live in Portugal. Facebook is also free to join.

I am unfamiliar with Portugal, but perhaps, too, your country has some popular social networks and perhaps you can create a profile and note you are a furry and try to get some contacts that way, but that's a bit of a stretch. I would try the other options, first.

I hope this helps! I'm sure more and more people will join the fandom in Portugal as you have, and perhaps, yes, there will be a furcon there someday. Perhaps you might even start with a simple furmeet, even organize one yourself and invite people you discover in the fandom online.

Good Luck!

Papabear