Moving to Colorado and knowing no one was pretty tough for the first few months. There were many nights where we wanted to go and do something fun, but we either didn’t know what to do or didn’t have anyone to go with. Now, six months later, we can’t seem to have a day off from hanging out with friends or finding some exciting activity to enjoy.

But, at the same time, there was a time when I was somehow meeting dozens of new friends within only a few short days in each foreign city as I traveled around Europe, having the time of my life. And some of those friends I still stay in touch with to this day.

So, for those of you who are moving somewhere new and experiencing what we had to deal with, here are some tips to get over that hill.

Classes

This might be somewhat vague, but classes of any kind make for great bonding environments; whether it be a class on cooking, coffee-making, pottery or anything in between. This also allows you to refine your search and meet people with similar interests and hobbies as you, something you might not find with the other options on this list.

Mutuals

The main thing that got my girlfriend and I into our new friend group in Colorado was reaching out to friends back home and seeing if they knew any friends in Denver that might be interested in hanging out. It may seem a little daunting at first, but most people at some point had to move to a new city with no one to hang out with at the beginning, and it’s likely that they’d love to help someone out of that rut. So, I highly recommend asking a mutual friend out for drinks or coffee to see if you get along.

pub Crawls

Alcohol’s nickname is “liquid courage” for a reason, and atmospheres in which the drinks are flowing tend to be where the most socializing occurs. I suggest looking up pub crawls in your area (bonus points if it’s for a good cause) and seeing where your feet take you. Who knows, you might end up with a few lifelong friends. Or you might end up tied to a bedpost, half naked, while an Irish nun serves you breakfast, but I think the first option is more likely.

There has been a shocking number of times where I’ve woken up after a night of heavy drinking with a new phone number in my phone (not a girl’s, never a girl’s!) and I’ve actually ended up hanging out with them again, so I don’t think this method of meeting new long-term friends on a night out has been patched yet.

Trivia Nights

As someone who loves trivia, I will take any excuse to test my knowledge. I highly recommend walking to your local bar, grabbing a couple beers, see if there’s a trivia team you can hop in on, and letting the night run its course. It’ll be a great time, trust me.

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Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you did, please drop a like and comment below if you have any other ways that you managed to make some friends after moving to a new city. While you’re at it, hit that follow button for a new post every Wednesday, and click on the social media icons for more travel content!

Have a great week!