When I moved to a new city I missed my friends. The only person I knew here besides my kids was the lady who sold me my house. I’m a friendly person & I really wanted to make new friends in my new town. I’ve been here for about 2 1/5 years. And now, I have lots of wonderful new friends again. What did I do?

I went to where the people were who were doing things I like to do

I wanted friends to do things with. It makes sense to look for friends who like to do the same kinds of things that I do.

Years ago I enjoyed teaching belly dance classes. One of the reasons I taught was to meet ladies who liked dancing like me. So in my new town, I introduced myself to the dance teachers in the area and even took some classes of theirs to brush up on my skills before applying to teach here too.

I hadn’t bowled in years but heard there was a senior bowling league in town; The Silver Fox league, no less. 😉 Since we rotate and play against different teams each week, it gave me an opportunity to meet a bunch of locals. It’s been fun and I added several friends. Some have become very close friends and I even won a small trophy (for bowling not making friends). 😀

I Talk To Everyone

It’s embarrassing to my sister, but she’s starting to get used to it, I think. There’s a checker at my store that I really like. I try and go in her lane because she’s good to talk with. One day, out of the blue, I invited her over for dinner. Why not? She couldn’t make it that night. I’m hopeful they’ll be another time.

My husband met a nice woman through his business. He got us together and we really hit it off. She invited me to join a small private woman’s group. There are about 8 of us now. We meet monthly for personal growth and a healthy pot-luck. It’s a warm circle of friends and it feels awesome to know them and spend time with them. Familiarity is what allows friendships to get stronger. Spending time with others over and over will also increase the chance of making friends. It takes a while for some to make friends.

I did something odd, even for me. I responded to a personal Craigslist ad. If you do this stay in the Platonic area. And even this isn’t a guarantee of motives. However, there was a woman looking for someone to play musical duets with. She played the flute. I play the flute. I’m glad I contacted her. After a few back and forth emails we decided the other was who they said they were. We play weekly for about 2 years now. She’s become a dear friend.

But Keep the Old

Just because I moved, I don’t want to let my old friendships die. I call to keep our bonds strong. After all, it takes effort to keep ALL relationships healthy. I also had a bit of an adventure when I went south to the area I used to live and couch surfed my girlfriends. It was exhausting but it was a blast. How much effort is putting a stamp on a card and mailing it? I know the joy it generates is great.

Be Persistent

I’m usually the one who is inviting someone else to come along with me somewhere. But that’s ok because I get to go places I want to go, when I want, with who I want.

I tried about 8 churches before I found my new church home. Although I call several friends, they are all now family. Last Sunday, a friend and I went to lunch and a street fair after service. I stayed overnight for 3 nights when one of the ladies needed care after a medical procedure. We have a strong bond now. When my husband and I were sick, other’s brought us soup. A good church is a huge blessing.

For more ideas, you can follow this LINK to find 31 ways to attract new people.

A good friend is a blessing. And who can’t use blessings? Just remember to be open to the possibility of friendship when you meet people. Be kind and talk to them. You never know who might be your next BFF.