Read the first part of my post HERE where I explain how I was once an extremely introverted girl with very few friends but ended up meeting tons of new people starting in my 20’s after I learned that the secret of making friends as an adult is having a common interest and meeting YOUR people.
So, you sat down and wrote down all your interests right? Now it’s time to find people local to you. Search on Facebook for specific interest groups in your area (until Steemit is mass adopted of course!) Speaking of Steemit, since you are on here have you thought about getting involved with your local Steemit community? If there is no community in your area yet, why not start one?! Spread the word of Steemit and change the course of social media and the world!
Once you have found your online interest groups it's time to get involved with them. Show your personality. If you are funny, it's time to show some humor. Be positive, and enthusiastic. Ask if there are any group events, and go! I know this is tough because you will have never met these people in person yet, but trust me it's way easier to do it this way than just randomly meeting new friends. If you get nervous remember that everyone is there because they want to meet new friends too!
My next tip is to volunteer! There are plenty of places to meet friends when you sign up to volunteer. One thing to keep in mind is that you are going to want to go to a place where that group meets up semi-regularly. You need access to the same people over a course of a couple months before you will get to know people enough to know if you will want to be friends with them (and them with you). If you go to an event that only meets once a year it will be harder. Try to find an event that meets up once a month at least.
Great places to volunteer: Animal Shelters, Homeless Shelters, Beach/Park/Forest Clean Up Incentives, Neighborhood Communal Gardens, the list goes on and on...and the best part is you will meet great people, and enrich your life by helping with a cause at the same time...a double win!
Online gaming communities are prolific, if you really enjoy playing a game try to find a community. My sister has been involved in the Counter Strike community for over a decade. She has met dozens of friends from across the country and she also met her fiance through the game as well.
Adult learning classes- Remember that you will need to sign up for a class that meets once every week/every other week over several weeks. While it's not impossible to meet people if you only go to a 1 or 2 part class, it’s far less likely you will connect with someone that fast.
Adult Sports Teams- My husband Brad got a membership at a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club. He met people and now they are all friends. He also joined a Beer/Running Club that meets once a month. They run 3 miles and then meet at a bar to drink beer..::insert eyeroll here:: lol. He has met several people that way too who have invited him to other events.
Adult Travel Groups- I haven't tried this yet but I hear some really great things about them! You basically go on pre-planned trips with other like minded adults all over the world. A vacation is a great way to meet new friends! (Again its all about being around the same people for an extended time, a vacation is the perfect example!) I went to a trip to Miami 7 years ago and met people from Amsterdam randomly. We added each other on Social Media and have been keeping in touch since. I invited them to join my group of friends on an Electronic Dance Music Festival Cruise (The Groove Cruise) last year and they actually flew in from Amsterdam to attend! We had an amazing time!
Some Final Thoughts
When joining an established community of people and expecting to make friends you need to be sure that the actual common interest is really something you are interested in. If you go to a knitting class to meet new people but secretly you have no interest in knitting people are going to know and you will seem strange and not genuine. After all, that’s going to be the topic of conversation at the beginning and if you don’t really have a passion for it you will have nothing to say. When someone talks about their passion, they light up. When you exude this energy you will naturally attract people to you. You just need to find your people! -Emily
I hope that this little blog post has given you a fresh perspective about meeting new people. If you enjoyed reading it I certainly would appreciate your upvote and your follow! I am also always on the lookout for people who share my interests! I love pets, travel, gardening, DIY/thrifting, and of course crypto!