Along with all of our own responsibilities comes a more significant dread: the fact that we might often feel alone. It seems it is hard to make new friends as an adult. While it’s also essential to be able to spend time on our own, we are still social creatures who need to be engaged in our community.
Each person has their own needs, so the amount of socializing you need and want is up to you! If you are new to Orange County and feel like it’s time to meet people and make friends, you have to put yourself out there!
Here are some ways in which you can keep yourself entertained in the company of others:
If you practice sports, adult sports leagues are an option!
There are many local sports leagues that meet on a scheduled basis. It is an excellent way of staying active and social! Take a look at the official website of the City of Irvine. There, you can register for their sports leagues, they have plenty to choose from, such as softball, basketball, soccer, and tennis!
Do you like to read? Join a book club!
Call your local public library to find out if they host a book club. The City of Orange’s library has one that meets monthly, check it out here. Libraries are great resources! Visit them to see if they have a community board that mentions which books are trending and if there are any discussion groups for these.
If you’d like to learn something new, think about joining a class.
What is a skill that you always dreamed about learning or nurturing? Whether if this is something that you’d like to turn into a hobby or pursue to a larger extent, joining a class will teach you a tip or two while bringing you closer to others who also have similar interests. There are many private lessons for music and other art practices, but also Orange County has a great selection of community colleges, which offer classes with a more structured program.
Volunteering
The OC Animal Care Center is located in Tustin, and they can definitely use your help! If you love animals, this is your best opportunity to help them while hanging out with cats, dogs, and more. And other people, of course!
Other tips
There’s plenty of ways in which you can surround yourself with other persons who are also new to your area or to meet people who are already locals. An example of meeting locals would be by checking out the community boards at your local coffee shops or asking if they host any events.
One of the pros of social media is that now you can search for events or other things that are trending according to your location.
Meet Up is also a great source that has gained popularity and gathered plenty of members in the past years.
Again, it all depends on the hobbies that you’re into and the type of activities you’re interested in exploring. There’s always something different for everyone anywhere!
What are some ways in which you’ve unexpectedly made a new friend in the past? If you have any other tips on making friends in a new community, share with #ApertoLiving!