Summer officially started this week. It seems that the sun finally got the memo as it was off to a bit of a slow start (at least in the UK).
I like summer. I spend most of my days sitting at a desk in front of a computer, even in my spare time. But the summer sun does a great job (when it turns up) of enticing me out, despite not being an outdoorsy person and being afflicted by hay fever.
What makes summer all the more enjoyable, at least for me, is spending time outside with family and friends. Eating alfresco, barbecues, drinking, and chatting outside into a late sunset. However, I’ve not always had those summer opportunities, and some of us don’t have them today for a myriad of reasons.
Being alone at any time of year can be difficult. The Christmas period, for those who celebrate or acknowledge it, often sets a high watermark when it comes to feeling alone because it’s a time closely linked with togetherness. Summer, though, doesn’t have a special day. If the heat isn’t too oppressive, being unable to enjoy the sheer gorgeousness of each passing day can play right into a great sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). Fun, fun, fun surrounds us. We may not see, hear, or smell it (unless next door has fired up the barbie), but we know it’s out there – or so it seems.
So what can you do when you find yourself in a situation like this? Broadly, there are two options: you can make opportunities to meet people, or take them.
Making Opportunities
Making opportunities to meet people means being front and centre in organising something. That “something” doesn’t have to be a summer ball fun-fest; it can just be meeting a friend or family member for a coffee, a walk, or a chat on a park bench. Whatever floats your boat, as they say. The point is, it can be simple and require as little effort as sending that first text or making that long-overdue phone call.
Taking Opportunities
Sometimes, though, there is no one to call or text, and even if there is, it may not be something that you can reliably draw upon for that social summer hit.
The good news is that many people are in the same situation. “What’s good about that?!” I hear you say. Well, it means that you’re not alone. More than that though (because that in itself is probably cold comfort), some of those people are open, ready, and enthusiastic about meeting you – or at the very least, people like you, who would like to expand their social circle.
Sites such as Frindow.com, along with others, are focused on creating the right circumstances for meeting new people by telling their users when and where to meet (in groups) in or around their local area. It’s that simple. Opportunities to make new friends are there for the taking.
So grab your sunscreen, sunglasses, and antihistamines, and start making this summer count as one of your finest.
