Socializing in a small town

I am five weeks into small town life and find myself missing my big city social activities. When I first moved to Connecticut I had to make friends and meet new people all on my own, as I knew no one. I started by making friends with some co-workers, then got involved with some volunteer activities and eventually had a great circle of friends. I could call any of them up to meet for coffee, a drink, a movie, dinner, whatever.

This time around I know people but most of them are married with children who keep them busy. I am lucky though. I have a fantastic sister who gets what I am going through. I imagine she went through the same thing a little when she moved back. Having her support and friendship is priceless.

In the city I could go on meetup.com and find fun new events where I could meet people. No one here is utilizing those types of sites. Many places are just discovering Facebook to keep people informed.

The real social activities here are typically community related, sporting events being the biggest of them all. When I first arrived, I was at a baseball game nearly every day. Once the fall comes there will be plenty of volleyball and football games to keep me busy and social. But through the summer I have to seek out alternatives to sports.

Last weekend I went to the neighboring town of Heppner (15 miles away, population approx. 1,400) and checked out Celebrate Heppner. I ran into several people that I knew. My niece, who came with me, saw even more people that she knew. I swear that 9 year old knows everyone in the 30 mile radius! This week I have a Bunco fundraiser, I’m really looking forward to that! A new restaurant opened in town and is doing a Ladies Night every other Thursday, so I have that on my calendar for next week. The last week of the month has some pre-Fourth of July events and following that is the Fourth of July which is the big event in town each year.

Somehow I find making new friends and meeting new people in a small town environment so much harder than it was when I didn’t know a single person. I miss the social media savvy city but I am really enjoying the small crowds and lack of traffic. Life moves slower here and I can get into that. I have my East Coast job to give me my fast-pace fix each day.