Guys, making friends as an adult is hard! Who would have thought? When you are forced to be around people everyday in school, it seems so easy. But once you are in the real world? Whole different ballgame! Sure, you have work friends and college friends, but how do you stay connected with those people and how do you make new friends?

I am not an expert by any means. In fact, I am kind of the opposite. I am definitely still figuring out this whole adulting thing and making new friends has not been the easiest. But, here are some of the tricks I’ve figured out since moving to a new city.

First off, when it comes to maintaining friendships, MAKE PLANS. Or at least schedule phone calls. My best friend (we met in college) lives half way across the country. But, we both love to talk on the phone while we are commuting. So, if either one of us has a longer commute, we call. We also have a super informal bookclub. Our day to day lives are very different, but we always have our book to talk about.

Secondly, say yes. You don’t have to accept every offer you get, but you aren’t going to make any new friends sitting in your apartment watching Netflix. Just think, you can schedule movie nights with your new friends once you get to know each other! But in all seriousness, if someone asks you to do something or there is something you want to do, say yes and invite people. You will get to know that individual better and if it is a group gathering, you might even make some new friends!

Thirdly, what I keep telling myself is that everyone else in their 20s is going through the same thing. Your 20s are a transitional period and they can be hard. Making friends doesn’t have to be. While sometimes I question how to start a conversation or what I have in common with other groups, remember that you can always fall back on talking about how cute their dog is.

XO, T