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activitiesadult friendships co-workers develop quality friendships events Friday happy hour group trip how to make friends as an adult keep friends make friends network with neighbors social hobby volunteer

How to Make (and Keep) Friends

Making friends at any age can be difficult. As we grow older, we develop different hobbies and interests that distance us from school friends. We move to new places for college or a job. We grow apart from some friends and grow closer to others. It’s natural to find yourself in a place where you want to grow your social circle. But how do you make friends when you’re older? These tips will help you develop quality friendships. Friendships can improve our health and happiness, so they’re important to have! Rather than collect friends like coffee mugs, focus on making a few close connections with people that truly care about you. To do this, try a few of these activities and find the people that make you happiest. 

Start a new hobby with in-person meetings. 

Take up a social hobby that you can enjoy with others! Join a book club and attend meetings at a local coffee shop, to discuss the book of the month. Sign up for kickboxing classes at a nearby gym and meet other like-minded fitness enthusiasts or fitness beginners. Find a local hiking group and connect with other hikers. By trying a new activity, you’re opening yourself up to fun experiences and new connections.  

activitiesadult friendships co-workers develop quality friendships events Friday happy hour group trip how to make friends as an adult keep friends make friends network with neighbors social hobby volunteer

Network with your neighbors. 

Host a small house party and invite your neighbors one weekend. Even if you’ve lived in your house or apartment for months, even years, it’s never too late to reach out and connect with people that you’ve only ever waved at from your mailbox.  

activitiesadult friendships co-workers develop quality friendships events Friday happy hour group trip how to make friends as an adult keep friends make friends network with neighbors social hobby volunteer

Connect with co-workers. 

Take advantage of social interaction at work and invite co-workers to a Friday happy hour. You don’t need to make friends with everyone, but you have a great chance of connecting with one person to hang out with outside of business hours!  

activitiesadult friendships co-workers develop quality friendships events Friday happy hour group trip how to make friends as an adult keep friends make friends network with neighbors social hobby volunteer

Stay in communication.  

The best way of keeping friends is to stay connected. But with a busy schedule, it’s hard to make time for friends. We recommend scheduling an alert in your phone calendar with a reminder to message a friend. The free Marco Polo app is another way to stay connected by sending video messages to your social circle. With this app, you can send video messages whenever you have time—without the pressure of texting back and forth immediately.  

activitiesadult friendships co-workers develop quality friendships events Friday happy hour group trip how to make friends as an adult keep friends make friends network with neighbors social hobby volunteer

Volunteer at a local organization.  

Select a nonprofit you are passionate about and volunteer. This activity allows you to interact with others and, more importantly, give back to your community.  

activitiesadult friendships co-workers develop quality friendships events Friday happy hour group trip how to make friends as an adult keep friends make friends network with neighbors social hobby volunteer

Bring a friend to a local event.  

Sometimes the best way to extend your social circle is to attend events where you’ll meet more people! If you bring one friend, you’ll be more comfortable socializing and striking up conversation with another group. Attend an event hosted by a brewery, like a live music concert, a comedy show, a summer festival or a bar crawl.  

activitiesadult friendships co-workers develop quality friendships events Friday happy hour group trip how to make friends as an adult keep friends make friends network with neighbors social hobby volunteer

Join a group trip.  

One of the coolest parts about social media is the growing number of travel influencers who schedule trips with their followers! Find an Instagram influencer who is planning a trip you are interested in and sign up. Use this opportunity to talk to new people and make friends as you travel.  

activitiesadult friendships co-workers develop quality friendships events Friday happy hour group trip how to make friends as an adult keep friends make friends network with neighbors social hobby volunteer
first Thanksgiving first Thanksgiving as a couplecouple's Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner Thanksgiving dinner ideas couple's traditions Thanksgiving traditions friendsgiving party Thanksgiving activity Black Friday shopping Black Friday shoppingvolunteer donate time Thanksgiving weekend food shelf soup kitchen Thanksgiving vacation travel ideas creative ideas Thanksgiving couple tradition

Celebrate Your First Thanksgiving as a Couple 

Whether you are married or dating, these seven ideas will help you celebrate your first Thanksgiving together as a couple. This major relationship milestone is fun but also tricky to plan. Some of the compromises include: how to schedule each person’s extended family dinner, how to find time as a couple, what activities to plan, and what kind of food to cook. But Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and expressing gratitude. The most important part of this holiday is to express gratitude for your partner by spending time together. When you spend quality time together during the holidays, you make special memories and grow as a couple. This Thanksgiving, start some new couple’s traditions with these seven creative ideas!  

7 Ways to Celebrate Your First Thanksgiving as a Couple  

Make a smaller meal for two, combining your all-time favorite Thanksgiving foods.

Host your own private Thanksgiving dinner for two at home! Compromise on the meal by cooking each of your top three favorite foods and creating your own family meal. This could literally just be side dishes (they’re the best part of the meal anyway!) or a crazy combination of favorite family recipes. Even if you are having Thanksgiving dinner with relatives, it can be fun and romantic to have your own meal together.   

Start a new couple’s tradition.

There’s no reason your Thanksgiving weekend has to be booked solid with extended family gatherings. Try to draw some friendly boundaries and spend time together, just the two of you. Start a new Thanksgiving tradition like taking a long hike, walking the dogs, getting brunch at your favorite restaurant, or visiting a winery and playing board games. When you create your own traditions, you become closer as a couple and establish a unique routine for your little family unit.  

Travel to make memories.

Make this Thanksgiving unforgettable by taking a short road trip or travelling out-of-state for the long weekend. Spend the weekend hiking, skiing, or curling up by the fire in a cozy cabin. Visit a spa hotel for room service and couple’s massages. Mini vacations are perfect getaways to make memories. Capture photos along the way and frame them to remember your Thanksgiving adventures.  

Host a Friendsgiving party.

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As a holiday that’s all about giving back and expressing gratitude, it’s a perfect time to host a meal for good friends! Friends are often like family, and they provide so much love and support. Friendsgiving can also sometimes be more relaxing and casual compared to a formal family get-together. Invite single friends and couples over for dinner, games, and lots of wine!  

Count your blessings as a couple.

At Thanksgiving, we remember all the things we are grateful for. For this Thanksgiving activity, write down why you are grateful for your partner. Remember all the big things, but the small things too. At dinner, exchange notes and read them out loud. These thankful messages will make each of you feel even more loved and blessed on the holiday.  

Treat yourselves to Black Friday shopping.

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 Black Friday offers some of the best deals and sales all year. Look for holiday gifts on sale that you can exchange during the holidays. Online stores have plenty of sales, so you don’t need to leave your house! As you shop, look for meaningful couple’s gifts you can enjoy together. A personalized gift like the Book of Us captures your love story on every page and is uniquely customized for the two of you. You can edit every page with special love messages and display it as a coffee table book in your home.  

Black Friday is also a perfect time to look for items you can purchase for your life together. Consider purchasing a new gaming system, a new television, updated bedding, kitchen appliances, or cooking equipment.   

Volunteer or donate your time.

On Thanksgiving weekend, give back by volunteering at a soup kitchen or collect items to donate at a food shelf. Often people donate around the holidays but then stop giving. Food shelves are then left empty when the holiday is over. Collect donation items to give once Thanksgiving is over, to keep their shelves well stocked. You can also create a volunteer sign-up sheet and invite friends or family to sign up for volunteer times once Thanksgiving is over.