Meetups and Hangouts: An Introverted Extrovert's Guide to Making Friends

Hey y'all! I hope this new year has been treating you all well so far! Mine has been busy so I'll give you a quick recap. I got a new job, saw my spirit animal Stevie Nicks again in concert with Fleetwood Mac, relived my teenage years at the Millennium tour and I still switch up my hairstyles from week to week. "But what's most importantly" (high fives to anyone who gets that reference), I kept one of my biggest New Year's non-resolutions to meet people!

I know, finally right? I've only been in South Florida for like a year but again, who's counting? Lol. As you may recall, I’ve really wanted to meet me new people since I moved but I am terrible about going out of my comfort zone (and my actual home) just to do so. That is the "introverted extrovert" in me. You know the type. You want to make friends but you also would rather sit on your couch and binge watch the latest Netflix original content. Well never fear because it's 2019 and I you don't have to leave home to find new acquaintances. 

There are more than a few apps out there that can aide you in creating new friendships. Here are a couple that I've used:

Bumble

For those who aren't familiar, Bumble is a dating app HOWEVER, it also doubles as a friendship and networking app. With Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz, you are able to swipe right (or left) on friends or business connects. Want to make business contacts but don’t necessarily have an interest in attending an awkward networking mixer? Want to meet cool platonic friends without the pressure of not looking like a weirdo when the conversation lulls? This is the app for you! It's really a great way to meet and engage with other like-minded people all from the comfort of your own home without much pressure to meet. 

Meetup

This app is for exactly what you would expect...meeting up! If you're in a new place or even your home town, you can use Meetup to find other groups of individuals with common interests. Here's how it works: you sign up and provide information about your personal (or professional) interests and Meetup will suggest different groups based on those interests. Each group has a host(s) and an option to create meetups per group. You can join a group to make sure you always receive a heads up when new meet ups are scheduled then, when you’ve found a meetup that piques your interest, you can finally pause Netflix and leave your house! *Whew* Easy right?

Super easy and it's been a blast so far! Technology had made it easy to hide ourselves away while we watch the outside world continue to pass us by so it’s important to maintain real life relationships these days but who says that technology can't help you do so? So I challenge all of my introverted extroverts to pick up your phone and start meeting people (responsibly, I mean hello, safety first people!) and forming cool new friendships.

As for me, check out some of the good times below!

Beach Day

Cocktails and Convos

90’s Game Night

Random hangouts!