How Do I Make New Friends?

Making new friends when you have recently retired can seem daunting and time consuming. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to create new friendships and connections that will last a lifetime. Making the effort is key, whatever that looks like for you, make the extra step to invite someone to dinner, suggest an event. New relationships require effort to establish common ground and maintain conversation. Another way to make new friends is to go where people are. Take a class, join a club, volunteer around your community. All of these places are new ways to make connections. Coffee shops, concerts, plays, and movies are great things to suggest as activities to do with the people you meet here.

Reconnect with old friends. Often times, old friends are similarly looking for new connections as they are in a similar stage of retirement. Rekindling new friendships can be easier than making new ones, and sometimes better! There was a reason you were friends with them years ago, why not now?