I'm thinking about pursuing a job in a new city, San Antonio to be specific. I'm a single 25 year old and I've lived in the Houston area my whole life, all my friends and family are here and I like it here but I want to try something new and there is a good job opportunity that I was approached with recently. My main question is, how do you meet people? I'm good with people and get along with pretty much everyone but at the same time wouldn't consider myself very outgoing. The only thing holding me back is the feeling that I'll find myself lonely and miserable in a new city so what advice would you have for me if I were to make the jump.
I would tell you the same thing that I tell my young kids. You can't go through life being afraid. In order to get the fruit of life you have to be willing to climb out on the branch to pick the fruit, and you can't do this being a tree hugger. Stepping out of your comfort zone is a good thing. You'll find out a lot about yourself doing this. If this job is a great opportunity don't let your fear of being lonely hold you back. Carpe Diem!!!! Who's to say you'll be lonely? You can't meet people through work? There are a ton of ways to meet people. Courage is like a muscle. The more you use it the easier it becomes in the future. You'll be willing to do/try new things in the future that normally would have held you back because you were afraid. Worst case scenario. You move and things don't go as planned. Job doesn't work out or you don't like the city etc. So you move back home. I was in the exact same situation 23 yrs ago. I moved to NYC from Houston (where I grew up and all my family and friends were). Best decision I ever made to move. I was there for 4 yrs and eventually moved back to Houston. No regrets at all doing it. At the end of your life the things you'll regret the most aren't the things that you did. It will be the things you DIDN'T do that really bother you. Good luck with your decision!
Do you have any hobbies or play any sports? There are usually groups organized around pretty much any sort of activity. Look for Facebook groups or meetup.com events that may interest you. And from what I've seen/experienced you probably will feel homesick for the first 6 months or so but you'll get over it. Luckily San Antonio is a pretty short drive from Houston so you can make weekend trips back.
couchsurfing.com or just buy season tickets to the Spurs. I'll buy the Rockets games from you and sleep on your couch. I'm pretty sure I can get finalsbound to come too. Or if we are lucky, HayesFan. There....three friends! what
Absolutely "When in Rome, Do as Romans Do". Do not try to be too "different" in a "cool" way thats offputting. Fully immerse yourself in surroundings even if you look like a newb tourist at first - Its easier now than it used to be with internet. There's meetup.com and other sites like it where plenty of new-in-town people want to make friendships. - Screw the advise that you shouldnt have too close connections with coworkers. Openly suck up and try to get on their good side. Make them be like family even Maybe not first day but soon. - Join a gym if you havent and can afford it. If you play bball preferrably join one with indoor court and become a regular. Ive met many friends this way - Any type of volunteer efforts, group events, As mentioned, charity, church, cookouts, etc. (It seems easier for church people to make acquaintences. If I wasnt such an atheist goober I'd be in church plenty - General hobbies and side activities to better yourself. If theres a course or something you always wanted to try, just do it. Just anything to keep yourself engaged in so it doesnt feel like the job is just some cyclical vacuum keeping you in a rut - Get a dog/cat/pet Create activities until you get contacts from it
All good tips, thank you! I used to play a lot of basketball and that was always a great way to meet friends but unfortunately due to some back and leg procedures, I'm not capable of doing that anymore. Anyone have any struggles from when you moved into a new city? Things you would have done different?
Sorry, all I could think of when I saw your post... <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EB9W8St1pDc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Hadn't thought of the song in a long time, thanks.
It takes time and it takes EFFORT to make friends in the real world. You can't be lazy, and expect to make a lot of friends. You just have to do as much as you can to meet people.
Meet people online. eharmony could help. But who needs to meet people in real life when you can meet them during multiplayer sessions.
San antonio is a nice city to live in and the women, in their youth, are extra nice, latina and huge sports fans! For some reason, people from san antonio are obsessed with taco cabana nachos. what other intel... avoid Ingram mall. Explore the Bandera trails, though it's 50 miles away from the city. Good luck! You will enjoy it and embrace it as your second home. Better than ending up in dallas!
