7 Ways to Make Friends as an Adult

When you’re on the lookout for new friends, try to show up to everything you’re invited to. Yep, that includes your neighbor’s baby’s first birthday party and your friend’s cousin’s improv show. It might not be ideal, but you never know who you’ll end up chatting--and clicking--with.

Whether you’re dining solo or with a group of friends, eating (or just drinking) at the bar is a great way to meet new faces and get out of your comfort zone. Before you know it, you’ll be making conversation with the bartender, the group of ladies next to you and the cute guy ordering a drink over your shoulder.

Guys, there’s nothing wrong with showing up to a birthday or housewarming by yourself. Chances are, no one’s going to know everyone in the room. Strike up a conversation about the weather, the food or how everybody knows the host, and it’s only a hop, skip and a jump to swapping Game of Thrones theories. Best of all, if you’re not connecting with the person you’re chatting with, you can always move to a different room and start talking with someone else.

Even if you’re not dying to read All the Light We Cannot See or learn to knit, join a group or club on Meetup anyway. Chances are, your fellow members are looking for new buds, too.

You know that friend from work who seems to have an endless Rolodex of connections? Ask if you can tag along the next time she goes out with someone she thinks you’d like. There’s no pressure if you don’t hit it off, but if you do, you can exchange numbers at the end of the night.

Feeling stuck? Try Hey! VINA. It’s a free app that’s essentially a Tinder for finding BFFs. (Yeah, it’s a little awkward. But at least you’ll both be awkward together.)

Think about some of the greatest friendships in history: Will and Grace, Lucy and Ethel, Cher and Dion… They never gave up on each other, even when things got tough. So if your new friendship doesn’t take off immediately, shake it off and try again. You’ll have a calendar packed with friend dates in no time.