The older you get, it seems harder to find ways to build new friendships. You are no longer in high school or college, where you spend years mixing and mingling with various types of people. And those friends that you have held on to from your youth have either moved away or you just aren’t on the same page anymore. The people you work with are nice enough but separating work and play is always a good idea. So, what does one do when they’re single and just want to meet new people to go out and grab a coffee with; shop with; see a movie with; gossip with? Here are a few suggestions on how to make friends as an adult!
Join a Book Club
Not only will it stimulate your mind but there is often coffee involved and intellectual conversation. Plus, you already have something in common with the dozen or so people involved in the club—the book you’re reading together. Check your local library as many have both a nonfiction and a fiction book club so you can take your pick. And if you do not click with the people in one, you can join another.
Paint and Sips
Painting plus wine plus people equals a fun and productive evening out. It gives you a chance to get your wine on while unleashing your creative side. They often offer singles nights and there are bound to be a few attendees who will make you laugh or appeal to your conversation-making skills. Plus, you leave with a souvenir that exhibits your amazing painting skills (no one cares if you’re awful, you’re there for the experience).
Volunteering
You may be a busy professional by day but on the weekends there is no greater feeling than building a home for families in need, helping homeless animals, or mentoring at-risk teens. If you join a group like Habitat for Humanity, you will build a natural camaraderie with the other volunteers and soon consider them friends. Plus, you are doing something extremely fulfilling and that is the best reward ever.
Take a Continuing Education Class
They average about eight to ten weeks long and include a bevy of choices from yoga to dance, to sculpting to foreign languages. Not only are they are enriching and don’t monopolize your time, but they are a great opportunity to meet people of all ages with similar interests.
Online Apps
Some apps, like Meetup, aim to connect people with common interests to an event. There you will have a better chance of meeting other like-minded individuals and a chance to make new friends, especially if you have relocated for a job.
Life is about experiences and that is how you meet people along the way. The ideas listed above are about both taking chances and growing as a person. If you are not totally comfortable going out on your own, grab a single friend or acquaintance and try something new. The tools are there; all that is left is your willingness to be open to letting new friends into your life. So, go out and have some fun. You won’t regret a moment.