Thursday, May 29, 2014

Meeting People Post-College

 When I was in college meeting people and making friends was so easy. I was in a sorority so I felt like I had instant access to hundreds of girls with similar interests to me. There were also people I met in class who shared my love of politics and history. We spent our evenings watching Grey's Anatomy, eating pizza, going to the gym, and planning out our course for the fraternity parties. We bonded while studying for the latest test or prepping for a debate.  Then we all graduated....

After graduation, everyone seems to move in separate directions. Some get married quickly; others focus on their career. Some move off to NYC, Atlanta, etc. while others moved back to their home towns. No matter what though, life changes and people change. I found myself in this situation, with my friendships slipping away. Even though some of us lived in the same town, our interests and priorities changed thus leaving less time for each other. Then I moved.....

I moved half way across the country to a town where I didn't know a soul. How do I meet people here? There were no left over connections from college.... No people to connect with while we all suffered through the agony of another Russian political lecture. Everyone was doing their own thing and no one knew I was there...

Today, with one year until we move again, I think about the best way to meet people and make the most of our time left here. And also, how to pick up and move again and learn to make friends and meet people all over again.

~ Get involved in activities you enjoy! I am going to take a photography class later this month...not just to finally learn how to work my camera but to meet others with an interest in photography

~ Volunteer. Find a cause that is near and dear to your heart and help out. As well as making a difference, you might make a friend or two.

~ Join a gym. Exercising is something we all need to make a priority and while you are at it, you may find a workout buddy.

~ Get outside and meet your neighbors. In the winter up here, everyone hibernates. But now that the sun is out and it has warmed up, I need to spend more time in the yard, walking the dogs, and working on outdoor projects.

How do you meet people? Do you even have this problem or am I the only one? Do you find that meeting people post-college/high school is hard?


1 comment:

  1. Yup, this post does go hand-in-hand with my post from yesterday! This may sound strange, but when we moved here the first time, I found most of my friends (who have all moved away since we've been back) by going to mom groups...before I had a baby. I didn't even like kids all that much, but I somehow connected with them! Strangely enough, it's actually really hard to meet friends now that I am a mom...go figure!

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