A couple of months ago I wrote a little piece on the woes of being an introvert. It was a post that was near and dear to my heart because it is my personality type and it often gets in the way of me getting to know people. The main reason I was exploring the topic was because I felt I was having difficulty meeting people here in London that shared common interests. I wanted to find friends. Even a person who is often mentally drained after social events craves human interaction. I think it’s just part of being human.
I have gone through some changes since moving away from all the things I knew and venturing into a new way of life in a new country. Come January I will have been here a year and it has been the best year of my life, as a whole. In the end, I may be walking away with more than a postgrad degree in Marketing Management, I will have a better understanding of who I am, what I’m made of, and what I can do when I put my mind to something.
One of things I’ve learned is that when it comes to making friends, you can’t sit back and expect them to just appear. You have to make an effort. To gain a friend, you must be a friend. After writing about introversion and whining about not having friends, something happened…..I made few.
I have mentioned a few times that I attend writing groups. I started this in June as a way to get myself writing again, beyond academics, and try to meet people. I went through an online service called Meetup.com. I was really apprehensive about doing this at first because I’m not the most social person around and it meant really stepping out of my comfort zone. However, months later, I’m calling it a success all around. I have met some lovely and fun people who I enjoy spending time with and look forward to seeing every week. We are supportive in each other’s writing but we also have some amazing conversations about things far beyond writing.
Last week, after most of the group had gone on their way, a few of us sat around the table of the pub we frequent and entertained ourselves with a piece of paper which eventually became a few pieces of origami. Of course, being writers, there were stories being constructed featuring an origami swan and two boats. I’d love to blame alcohol for our silly behaviour but the majority of the table wasn’t drinking at all. We were just having fun. There are few better feelings than sharing silliness among friends. (I was actually assigned to blog about it so, by including this account, I have officially fulfilled my obligation in an indirect way.)
I am grateful for those people and all the friends/acquaintances I am meeting through these groups. They have no idea that they have filled a hole in my life here in London. They probably don’t realise the significance that their acceptance and friendship has to me. They made something that is so difficult for me to do (making friends) much easier. So this is a bit of shout out to those people who have made it an even better experience living here. Thank you.
On My Mind 