In the Media – How to make friends when moving to a new city (Greatist.com)
Greatist (screenshot)
Moving can be a double-edged sword in terms of friendships. Greatest.com offers some tips for making friends in a new city.
Admittedly, it is tough to make new friends when you’re faced with the challenging “mechanics” of settling in to a new neighborhood, new home and new place of work. There are so many small details to take care of as you find your way in a new setting. It can also be draining emotionally.
Newcomers are also need to balance their time seeking out new friendships vs. maintaining old ones with people with whom they feel close and comfortable.
They may fall prey to the myth that everyone already has his/her friends.
On the other hand, there is a luster to being the new kid on the block. Many people will have a natural interest in learning about you and hearing your story.
In an article on the website, Greatist, writer Rachael Schultz catalogued an interesting list of ways to make friends in a new city and incorporated one thought from The Friendship Doctor. She writes:
OK, nail salons may not actually be as social as Legally Blonde‘s bend-and-snap scene led us to believe, but they’re actually a perfect place for random social interactions.
“Everyone, like you, is captive and feeling relaxed. It’s a great place to initiate small talk with the person next to you,” says Irene Levine, Ph.D., author of The Friendship Blog.
Sparking up conversation over the nail dryers may not land you a soul sister, but it’s a great way to flex that social muscle and become comfortable talking to strangers, Bonior says. That way when you really click with someone, you won’t overthink your intro too much.
Click here to read the Greatist article in its entirety.
Category: KEEPING FRIENDS
