Moving is scary, there’s nothing to dispute there. Not only do you have to worry about learning a new area, but you need to move all your belongings to a completely different location. Unless you are moving down the street, or to another house near your old one, then you are probably also worried about losing your close friendships. These could be lifelong friendships or merely neighborly ones. Either way, this is a valid concern that many people have when they move. However, making new friends doesn’t have to prove to be super difficult.
At first, you may start craving those old relationships by jumping on a phone call, facetiming, or leaving Instagram comments, however it’s never going to be the same as being close and hanging out IRL. You might start feeling like you’re never going to be able to find that fun and spontaneous tribe that you can vibe with. However, there are several things you can do to decrease the feeling of emptiness and make new friends. This includes some due diligence before the move, getting outside your comfort zone, and being open to forming new connections with a larger pool of people.
Prior to moving, you can look at groups or people in the area you are moving to before initiating the move. How can this be done? Facebook groups are a good place to start to find people with similar interests to you. Meetup.com also provides groups around shared interests. Bumble has a BFF option that you can use to find potential platonic matches. Bridge is also a great option which helps curate matches with people who share your interests and passions and are in a similar life stage as you.
Putting yourself out there is also super important. Think about the things that you enjoy doing the most either alone or with a group of friends. Got a few ideas? Great! Now go do those things! You like playing basketball with your friends? Why don’t you find the closest public basketball court or gym? Enjoy playing pub trivia? Go to the neighborhood bar for Trivia Tuesday and see if the person next to you at the bar wants to be your trivia partner. It may seem scary at first, but a little bit of confidence and authenticity goes a long way when it comes to making new friends. Just saying “Yes” to things is honestly half the battle
Being open to new people is another great way to make new friends. When you move, there is no telling who will be like you. Not everyone will share your interests and they almost certainly won’t be exactly like your old friends. Go out with an open mind and be kind to others. You’ll be surprised to see how kind can return kind. Ask people questions about themselves and be willing to listen and learn. Who knows, maybe something will ultimately click.
While moving can seem daunting especially when it comes to leaving your old friends behind, apps such as Bridge can offer some small help along the way. Ultimately it will be up to YOU to make those longstanding bonds and meaningful connections, but we’ll do our best to help you get there.