Making Adult Friends in 2016

Welcome to the new year, everyone! I've made a number of small, achievable resolutions this year that I hope to really begin to see the fruits of come summer. In the meantime, I've been reflecting on the amazing year that my husband and I had in 2015. One of the things that made our year so incredible was our support system. Not only did we have endless amounts of love showered upon us by longtime friends and family but also by the wonderful people that we met throughout the year.

Making new friends as an adult can be intimidating. Without the comfort of school, it seems damn near impossible to meet new people. In years past, Miles and I have found ourselves sitting on our couch on a Saturday night wondering where the hell all of our friends are. We spent ages complaining to each other that we needed to meet new people to hang out with, but we just couldn't seem to figure out how to even begin to tackle the challenge.

Being a married couple complicates things. I'm not under the impression that being married makes us any better than non-married couples, but it certainly does feel nice to be around other committed couples (especially married ones). We married relatively young and few people in our age group have joined the ranks, so to speak. Also, most of our married friends have children, further complicating our ability to hang out with them. (We love being around children, but we're definitely still in the "let's grab a few drinks" stage of our marriage. Married friends with kids tend to stay in, for obvious reasons.) So, I'm hoping that you are beginning to sense what I'm trying to get at... we've been kind of stuck in the friend department.

This last year was VERY kind to us in terms of meeting new friends. Miles and I are lucky to work with two of the greatest groups of people ever, period. Our coworkers have become a huge part of our lives, and we are infinitely grateful for them. We've also learned how to take some chances on making friends. It can be awkward and scary but so worth it when you meet likeminded people, especially when they're in the same life-stage as you and your partner!

And what would this blog post be without advice? Here are some of the tips and tricks that have worked for Miles and I.

1. Go out! You simply will not meet anyone new on your couch. I know how hard it can be to drag yourself out of bed after a long day at work, but you'll be so grateful that you did. Bars, murder mystery dinners, shows, comedy clubs, escape rooms, you name it. Step out of your comfort zone and get out of the house.
2. Take friends up on their offer to hang out with them and their other friends. Don't be shy about going to dinner or a party with people that you don't already know. If they're friends with your friend, there's a good chance that you and your partner will enjoy them, too!
3. Get to know your colleagues. I'm not talking about where they went to school or how long they've been working in marketing for. I'm talking about getting to know them on a personal level. Oftentimes, you'll find that you share a ton in common with your coworkers, especially if you all work in a field that you are actually passionate about. Plus you spend more time around them than anyone else--you might as well learn to love each other!
4. Be the initiator. Actually start a conversation? GASP! But really... it's not so bad. Strike up a conversation with an interesting couple sitting near you or ask them if they'd like to play pool with you guys. If you keep waiting for someone else to approach you, it may never happen. We have made some pretty hilarious friends while out and about, so it's definitely worth speaking up. If it helps you, have a whiskey sour or a margarita to loosen you up first.

Sounds like I'm prepping you all for dating, huh? Well... it's really not all that different. The most important part of all of this is to put yourself out there and take a chance.

I wish you all good luck in making some awesome new friends in 2016. (Shout out to all of the married and soon-to-be married couples that are in need of more couple friends!)