Issues making friends?

[tealtreak]

Great topic. We have been here in AZ six years and only have two friends that we regularly hike with. I think that having hiking in common has helped. I think one other factor is where you live. Here in AZ it is a transient population. When I think of cities that I would want to live near because of perceived friendliness, I think of Portland, Oregon, Denver, CO, Vancouver, BC.

So true! some places are more welcoming then others (: All of our friends are also transplants...............

[GLC1968]

Actually, I've heard it said that Portland isn't a good place to make friends either. That everyone here is certainly friendly enough, but no one wants to make REAL friends because they already have plenty.

Honestly, I haven't found that to be true at all but I've heard a lot of people say it so it wasn't just an isolated person who felt that way.

[Crankin]

All my friends in AZ were transplants from the east (the east, not Chicago, as some in AZ call it), like me. But, we weren't transient. In fact, I'm the only one who left! I agree it's a transient society, but that made it easier to make friends. People moved in, you invited them to dinner, and they came. Of course, I knew people who had lived in the valley for years, or were natives, through work.
Then, I came back here, where I was born, and it does seem like people are just more involved with their families. Not just their kids, but their parents, too. I remember 2 things. I called up someone i met and asked her if she and her DH wanted to come over for dinner. Her response was, "You mean like tonight?" I said no, on Saturday night. She never got back to me. The other one was we invited 3 couples over for a dessert party. They came so late, we had almost shut out the lights...
I suspect if I lived in the city, it would be different. Heck, I didn't even make any friends except our driveway neighbor, when I moved to this house. We went to the "Newcomers" club and it was a bunch of people that were so unlike us, we ran. Thankfully, we didn't really *need* new friends, but thought it would be nice to make some connections in Concord. I guess since my kids didn't go to school here, that won't happen. In fact, when I mention where I used to live and the fact my kids went to the "rival" HS next door, their noses turn up. Oy. I just look at them and say, hey, I moved 9 miles, I don't need to change anything in my life.

[shootingstar]

Maybe a different way to see the migrant residents (I don't necessarily view as "transients".), is that I find they, like myself, are willing to share with anyone where they originally/last moved from.

And from that, there is chat about comparing experiences ie. weather, lifestyle, local vibe, etc.

Without the Internet to share like this, some of us would be complainin' wayyyyyyy more for lack of human dialogue on some topics.