We each moved to a new home at about the same time, and we both tackled the challenge of making new friends while working from home. (In my case, I felt incredibly lonely for the first few months of telecommuting. Now teaching fills that gap and I can't imagine that I ever missed being in an office 5 days a week...but it was a rough transition.)
So I asked Vanessa if she would write a guest post about some of her experiences in adjusting to a new home. Even if you live in the same town you were born in, I think you'll enjoy reading this as much as I did!
When people hear that I was born in South Africa, grew up in Hawaii and lived in Germany, England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Hong Kong and now Georgia within my (relatively) short lifespan, they assume I must be a professional at making friends by now.
At least they don't interrupt! |
Plenty of room for company! |
1. Find a Running Group: Runners are everywhere. Seriously. Move to a small town with 65 residents and you’ll see at least one crazy old man chasing the cows at dawn for fun. Head to your local running store and inquire about running groups, or tack up a poster and advertise your own.
2. Start a Blog: I know, I know. I’m biased. But it worked for me. Not only have I made a ton of friends who I would consider myself quite close to through the internet, but I’ve had the opportunity to meet many of the in real life. Think of the blog as a friend filter. The only people who will stick around and read on a regular basis are those who have a lot in common with you already.
3. Pretend: No, I don’t mean pretend you have friends. I mean pretend you have confidence. You know those people who get on a bus or elevator and get off with 3 new friends? Pretend you’re like them. Force yourself to say hello to someone or strike up a conversation in line. Worst case scenario? I’ll be honest, it could be embarrassing for, oh - 3 minutes. Best case scenario? New friend.
4. Meetup.com: A friend recently told me about this site and my first reaction was to quickly close the screen so my husband wouldn’t see it. Although it sounds like a dating website, it’s actually a great way to meet people who are interested in different hobbies. In my area, there are a few groups who meet regularly for hiking and trying out new restaurant.
Blogger meetup. |
Have you ever moved to a new place? If so, how did you meet new friends? What advice would you give to someone new in your hometown?
Some good suggestions there! :) It can be tough moving to a new place, but sounds like you've both got a good take on things...
ReplyDeleteThanks for featuring me today Beth! I love the captions you gave my photos!
ReplyDelete:)