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Susan Delgado
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I don't know how much I've mentioned (if anything) about myself.
I moved across the country about 6 or 7 months ago to a new town, new job, etc etc. I left my family, all my friends, everything behind me to come here and start new and finally get my career started.
Well...I haven't exactly had much luck making new friends. There was a girl I worked with that I had gotten to know pretty well, but she's moved out of the country. Everyone else I work with is at least 10 years older than me with families and children. They're nice people, but not "hang out on the weekend playing video games" kind of people.
I don't go to school, I've been graduated for several years now (from college), and honestly until I have the funds to go to grad school, I don't plan on going back.
I am terribly shy .... probably borders on social anxiety...that doesn't help matters much.
I don't even know where to begin trying to make new friends. I've tried looking for online groups that plan outings like meetup.com but everything in my area is defunct.
blargh!
I moved across the country about 6 or 7 months ago to a new town, new job, etc etc. I left my family, all my friends, everything behind me to come here and start new and finally get my career started.
Well...I haven't exactly had much luck making new friends. There was a girl I worked with that I had gotten to know pretty well, but she's moved out of the country. Everyone else I work with is at least 10 years older than me with families and children. They're nice people, but not "hang out on the weekend playing video games" kind of people.
I don't go to school, I've been graduated for several years now (from college), and honestly until I have the funds to go to grad school, I don't plan on going back.
I am terribly shy .... probably borders on social anxiety...that doesn't help matters much.
I don't even know where to begin trying to make new friends. I've tried looking for online groups that plan outings like meetup.com but everything in my area is defunct.
blargh!
Go then, there are other worlds than these.
Susan Delgado on
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Posts
The best advice I can offer is to join groups or clubs focused on your interests. If it's gaming, see if there's a cool small-scale gaming shop in the area and get to know the staff there.
Have you tried networking sites like Facebook or (shudder) MyPage? They will usually feature a page for your area where you can meet like-minded individuals. Barring that, start such a page! You'd be surprised as to how many like-minded people you might meet.
Hmm... well... I'm a girl (if you hadn't guessed :P lol )... I like to read, write, video games, movies, hockey, beer, hiking, photography, I don't know... stuff like that. I guess I'm hoping to meet people kind of like me...that can be as content hanging out at a house drinking and watching movies as they are at a club or going out shopping.
*sigh* I'm socially inept lol, thus my turn to the internet for help.
I did actually try meetup.com lol all the groups in my area are defunct and closed lol
Well, once again, we're here to help, but as you well know, sometimes internet-only friends just don't do it :P
One idea you might consider (which could also net you a couple of extra bucks) is to take up a part-time job at a store representing one of your hobbies, say at a local EB or Sports store or something. You're not doing it for the pay or anything, but to meet like-minded people. Since you're all set career-wise, you don't really have anything to lose if you don't like it, and who knows, you might meet some like-minded people closer to your age and make a couple of bucks while you're at it!
If that's too "anti-fun" for your tastes, maybe see if you can get involved into something like roleplaying. It may not exactly be your cup of tea, but it's a great way to meet people.
The great thing about these two suggestions is that once you get sick (of either the part-time job OR the RPing), you could quit while potentially still walking away with a couple of new friends. I met most of my friends through bullshit summer jobs, who then introduced me to their friends... who introduced me to their friends... and so on.
I've had, almost spot on, the same problem, right down to the time frame. It's not been so bad for me as I'm married, so at least i get to spend lots of time with my wife. I'd be going crazy if I was doing this alone. Only thing that's helped me so far: two of my friends from back east live out here now as well, and I've gotten a chance to reconnect with them. You might be lucky too, you could find out if any friends of yours from the past live in your new area. Facebook would work for this, or maybe there's an alumni office/magazine for your high school or college you could check for updates?
EDIT:
Easier said than done; my main intrest is rping, and I've had no luck finding a group out here. Gaming groups tend to be really insular, it's tough getting in on one that's already established. I met all my gaming friends through college.
I guess I'll just keep looking, hopefully won't take too much longer to meet at least *someone* to spend time with now and then.
Frickin' Roanoke, VA
I guess I didn't read your OP that well. Sorry about that. But looking on there, there are several groups that do get together and have fun playing board/card games and the such. Perhaps you can go to those groups and make a friend there? I know it'll be tough with your shyness, but I'm the same way, and I decided to overcome it rather than being lonely.
When you have a bunch of people together with a common interest and goal, many of whom don't know each other well or at all, it's a really easy and pressure free way to meet people.
If you ever need to talk to someone, feel free to message me. Yes, that includes you.
Warhammer
Magic the gathering
I know it's tough when you're an introverted person, but sometimes the best thing to do is hold your nose and jump right in. You're going to have to make an effort to get to know people. Strangers aren't going to want to put the work in to get to know you unless you show them something they want to see more of first.
I'm sorry, I moved away from there and wouldn't look back
Seriously though, take a couple classes in your free time you're bound to meet a few people.
Roanoke sucks but not as bad as Susan makes it out to be.
I got my undergrad from Virginia Tech and I know being a student is a lot different than being a full-time employee as far as socialness (¿) goes but Roanoke is not a small city and should have plenty of people that share similar interestes. I used to do a lot outdoors such as hiking, outdoor photography, etc. I know everything I say is easier said than done but you can try to hit an outdoor store and ask any friendly employee about outdoors clubs, or activities that he may have heard of. You can also find out about clubs at local colleges, even VA Tech.
Where are you from originally? And that job better have an awesome salary for you to accept living in Roanoke
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
Maybe once I can get back into a regular gym schedule I'll be able to meet some new folks.
Yes, Roanoke is a horrible city for single 20-somethings that are here for a career, NOT school. I have no intentions on staying here over 2 years, let alone settling down here. Unfortunately, when you are out of school long enough without any job offers in the industry you want to be in, you will do whatever you have to to get your career started.... or at least I did.
Thanks for all the advice and ideas, guys, I do appreciate it. I'm going to do my best to meet some people. Three cheers for being socially awkward!
You sound like a person who people could get along with... I would suggest signing up on an online dating site like okcupid and putting on there you are just there for new friends.
I have a friend now that did the same thing, she moved here (Atlanta) from Raleigh and had a hard time making new friends. She posted on there that she was new to the area and was looking for people to show her around the city/hang out with. I sent her a message, found out we had similar interests and I showed her to a few places around the city.
Since the entire purpose of the site is for people approaching other people that they don't know, I think this would be your best bet (other than meetup.com or whatever).