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If you’ve just moved to a new area or you’re just looking to expand your social network, you’ve probably realized that meeting new friends isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. How are you supposed to meet these people, just walk up to them on the street and ask them if they’d like to hang out and grab a cup of coffee? Though that strategy may work for some people, most of us aren’t quite so brave. The bar scene is often an option, but as it’s usually full of singles looking for a mate it can be tough to sell the idea that you’re really just looking for friendship.
Some may suggest that the internet is an excellent place for meeting new friends, but sometimes the online prospects can be shaky at best. If you’re bored on a Friday night, friends who live halfway across the country aren’t much fun to hang out with. Granted, most personal sites which are based on locality, like craigslist.com, make things a little bit easier, allowing you to meet these people in person, and sometimes they can breed worthwhile friendships.
The best strategy for meeting new friends online who you’ll really connect with in real life is to pay attention to shared interests, as it’s a lot easier to meet up with someone to spend time over a shared passion, be it fooseball or a bike ride, than it is to sit together over lunch and try to find topics for conversation. This is especially true when meeting up with someone you contacted online, since you obviously haven’t shared any other experiences together.
Another great way to meet new people is to join a club or a group of people who are interested in the same sorts of things you like. If you’re a movie buff, why not find a film club in your area? Like quilting? You can probably track down a quilting club. Community sports and recreation programs are also great places to look, since they often offer the standards like softball leagues or tennis tournaments along with other sports like kickball or dodge ball. If you like reading, try to track down a book club in your area. These interest-based clubs are usually excited to have new members to contribute to the club, and they’ll also allow you to meet a whole bunch of people at once who all share some of the same interests as you.