# How did you meet your newest friend(s)?



## ReidWright (May 15, 2014)

If you’re 30+, and you have met a new friend in the last five years, where was it?

And by friend I mean someone you socialize with outside of the workplace, with or without your spouse. And not just online.

Someone that you communicate with monthly or more often.


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

At the gym. But, that is where I meet most people.


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## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

None really here. Most new people I talk to I meet online which realistically b/w work and family life is the only way possible, and honestly much easier to manage then having a new physical friend lol.


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## SecondTime'Round (Jan 15, 2015)

My newest friend was the realtor who sold me the house I bought last June. She just texted me about her puppy 30 minutes ago .

Before that, my newest friends were women from the single moms group I am in (Meetup group).


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## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

SecondTime'Round said:


> My newest friend was the realtor who sold me the house I bought last June. She just texted me about her puppy 30 minutes ago .
> 
> Before that, my newest friends were women from the single moms group I am in (Meetup group).


If we finally sell our house after being on the market for over a year now I will make my realtor my new friend as well :grin2:


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## SecondTime'Round (Jan 15, 2015)

EllisRedding said:


> If we finally sell our house after being on the market for over a year now I will make my realtor my new friend as well :grin2:


LOL! Omg, good luck! That's very stressful!


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## ReidWright (May 15, 2014)

bbdad said:


> At the gym. But, that is where I meet most people.


lifting? or do you join classes, or play team sports there?


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## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

SecondTime'Round said:


> LOL! Omg, good luck! That's very stressful!


Yeah, not a lot of fun. The house would have actually sold early last year but the freakin town is allowing a developer to do some stuff with the land behind the house which has turned away buyers (so naturally the town is making money, the developer is making money, and myself along with the other residents in the area are left eating the costs).


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## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

bbdad said:


> At the gym. But, that is where I meet most people.


Actually, to add to this, same here. Any new people (i.e. not online) that I do meet are at the gym as well.


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## Married but Happy (Aug 13, 2013)

Between the two of us, it's been meet-up group, at work, volunteer work, martial arts class, OLD site, spouses of friends or friends of friends. All are friends to us both.


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## Mr. Nail (Apr 26, 2011)

ReidWright said:


> If you’re 30+, and you have met a new friend in the last five years, where was it?
> 
> And by friend *I mean someone you socialize with outside of the workplace, with or without your spouse. And not just online.*
> 
> Someone that you communicate with monthly or more often.


Not sure I have any of those. There are some men I meet 4-7 times a year if we end up at the same scout events. I have Church people. As for Gym people, I can tell you a lot about their swimming styles, strengths, weaknesses etc. but not their names. Chatting in the pool really annoys me actually. It makes you stop swimming. 

No More OSF. Learned my lesson there.
MN


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## stephscarlett (Sep 2, 2015)

Hmmm. my newest BEST friend I met because her son and mine were roommates at college. I knew her before, as they were on the same basketball team, but not as well. We emailed back and forth when they decided to be roommates (I wanted to warn her that son is a clean freak, she said her son the exact opposite - but they made it two years together in the dorms!) and she was just so easy to talk to I asked her out for a drink. Good friends ever since. She grew up in this state and still has her HS and college friends. I did not so I have fewer friends. However, hubby and I just bought a lake home in the town she grew up in (her Dad still lives there) and now we'll be able to hang out even more!


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## Rowan (Apr 3, 2012)

A guy I work with married a woman from out of town, and in trying to help her adjust to living here, he invited me over to a couple gatherings at their home. She and I hit it off and have been good friends ever since. I've also become good friends with one of her lifelong best friends. 

Otherwise, I have a lot of friendly acquaintances from work, yoga, civic groups, volunteer organizations, and friends of friends. My social circle is pretty large. My actual friend group is quite small. With a few exceptions, it's mostly made up of people I've been friends with for many years.


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## eric1 (Apr 10, 2015)

I meet new friends all the time. I talk to everyone. 

Most of my friends come from the gym, but it's just because I there regularly. I also get a lot of people because I put myself out there at random events and stuff.

Meeting new people is awesome. 

I'm Irish by heritage. Is Irish will talk to a brick for hours if you let us


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## anchorwatch (Mar 5, 2012)

I've made many new friends through activities participating in sports, social groups, or volunteering time to local organizations. Recently I've met quite a few new friends and their spouses through a golf group.


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## tech-novelist (May 15, 2014)

At the UU church in the closest big city.


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## heartsbeating (May 2, 2011)

In recent times, it's been down to my husband. He's met new, cool people through his volunteering who we also see socially. We meet up as couples as well as individually.


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## ReidWright (May 15, 2014)

I'm seeing a lot of 'volunteering' mentioned. Can anyone give examples? Not necessarily the exact name, but what types of causes or organizations? what types of things are you doing? (I definitely have been looking for more opportunities)

Also seeing 'the gym'. I'm all business when i work out (lifting), maybe I should open up a little more. Any stories on how your gym friendships started? I don't see a lot of chat at my gym.


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## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

ReidWright said:


> Also seeing 'the gym'. I'm all business when i work out (lifting), maybe I should open up a little more. Any stories on how your gym friendships started? I don't see a lot of chat at my gym.


Similar to you I am all business at the gym. However, I go at 5am every morning so over time you see the same people over and over again (especially since I go to a small gym). You can still be all business but still make some conversation. Typically for me even something as little as saying hi (or in my case good morning) to someone when you pass them by (instead of just keeping your head down) is a good start. Also, at least for me, I find those who do go to the gym at the same time as me are a bit more dedicated so we share that in common.


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

ReidWright said:


> lifting? or do you join classes, or play team sports there?


Lifting.. I don't do classes and my gym doesn't offer sports leagues.


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## Mr. Nail (Apr 26, 2011)

I volunteer with the Boy Scouts. A pretty gregarious group. I don't think it really matters a lot where you find your group, find something that interests you. Volunteer groups tend to get a different group of people than community sports, or Gyms. People who are giving to a cause tend to be less selfish. Not a hard fast rule. There are people who go to church to be seen there.


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## Joey2k (Oct 3, 2014)

I found out a guy at work was also a runner (I am too), and lived near me, so we started getting together once a week to run. Got to know each other from that.

I met some other people through a local board game group I joined via Facebook, but that was just this week so not sure if this will be a permanent thing.


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## heartsbeating (May 2, 2011)

He's training as a volunteer firefighter - he values the camaraderie. Friendships with other couples have evolved from that. The social circle tends to expand with meeting friends of friends also.


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## jaquen (Mar 1, 2012)

In the last 5 years I've fostered some pretty amazing friendships.

Two new best friends, and several close friends, all from a church I started attending almost 2.5 years ago. Most of these guys are younger, in their 20s. We text throughout the week and hang out regularly, every other week or so is typical. We're also leaders in various church groups so we stay bonded through that. I'm very closely, deeply connected to these men. Some married, some married with kids, some single.

I've got some new friendships brewing with a couple coworkers after I went back to my old job last summer. They're mostly in their 30's and 20s, and only one of them is married, but that's already hitting the rocks. I've hung out socially with one guy recently and making plans to do so with the other fellas.


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## heartsbeating (May 2, 2011)

One of my newer friends I met at a dinner party. Her and her husband were sat next to me. We all got along and her and I made plans that night to become gym buddies. While we encourage each other with the gym, we don't chat when we're there. We catch-up a couple times a month outside of this, over coffee or a walk. 

I took a class last year related to a hobby I'm passionate about and developed friendships with a couple of the women. We enjoy catching up for dinner and drinks but it's also great having the hobby in common as we meet up for outings related specifically to this. It's wonderful to share that with others who feel similarly. We've yet to get together with husbands but there's an upcoming lunch date set... one of the friends said how much her husband is looking forward to meeting everyone as he's wanting to meet new friends.

Hobbies, interests, volunteering, friends of friends.


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## TX-SC (Aug 25, 2015)

He moved next door.


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