Everyone has been asking about my social life here so I thought it time for an update

Absolutely no one has asked but I don’t have much else to talk about right now so here we find ourselves.

I have but feels like a friend abundance and a friend rut which is a bit confusing. I know a decent amount of people but only REALLY KNOW a few. I have several girls I’m friendly with and enjoy being with when we’re together, but we aren’t close enough to see each other often. I have a few girls here that I love and we want to get together more, but due to work/homeschool/general life schedules, we seldom get to visit. This leaves me wishing for more friend time.

In our last few civilian moves, I came to the realization I couldn’t wait for the established people in the new town to reach out to me. I have to go WAY outside my comfort zone and make the first effort and eventually it might pay off.

A few years ago we switched AB from a preschool at one church to the church preschool across the street. It was a big decision but I finally did it. I didn’t want to hurt her teacher’s feelings but I assumed I’d never see her again so she’d forget about the swticharoo. Then we moved across the street from her and see her frequently so that plan backfired. All that to say, switching schools was one of the best things we’ve done. It’s in a first-place tie with moving from the frog and mold-infested house to our current mostly frog free house. I made myself start talking to some of the playground moms after school and over the past few years they’ve become wonderful friends. Sarah Beth invited us to church with them and now we go there every week. She is so funny which is vital to my friendships. Claire is exceptionally calm and has an immaculately decorated and spotless house which normally would make me feel bad about my baseboards, but she’s so sweet I don’t mind. They’ve both watched Annabelle for me and are always up for a playdate. Last month AB was doing an event at church with Sarah Beth’s daughter and the three of us hung out at the playground like old times. That’s how you know you like someone. You’re willing to be at a playground with their children when you’re own is elsewhere. They’re both homeschooling this year and since Annabelle is in public school we aren’t able to see them much these days. Annabelle’s new educational path has really put a damper on my social life. I met a new friend at the same church playground a few weeks ago and have only seen her once, but she texted me a Starbucks gift card when I had a doctor’s appointment which I thought was incredibly sweet. That playground is the gift that keeps giving.

My closest friend here moved to Japan a few months ago and I still haven’t forgiven the government for offering them a job with a paycheck and opportunities they couldn’t turn down. Without fail, every single time I was in public with Sarah, she ran into at least one person she knew. We could be literally anywhere in town and see someone she knew and have a conversation with them. It was never a nod at someone you are acquainted with as you go in opposite directions down the baking aisle meeting. It was a whole conversation and I loved it. I called her the mayor. She would have known what was going on at CVS this morning. The store was closed for the morning and group of men with gas masks were standing by the front door. One man was standing in a kiddie. The doors of the work vans were open and inside were stacks of large plastic bins. None of it made sense and I’m dying to know why the masks and the pool were both needed. Sarah would have known all the workers and their mothers.

I’ve made an increasing number of acquaintances/potential friends around town. I know Cathy at Publix who has knee issues. PJ, the receptionist at the doctor’s, is not on board with her 3yo daughter suddenly getting homework from daycare. The boy at Dunkin Donuts tells me how cold he is when the temperature dips below 80*. The girl at the other coffee shop and I bonded over a conversation about her hair. Mareka at the jewelry store complimented me on my eyelashes (“and I do eyelash extensions so I see a lot of eyelashes”) so obviously, she’s now my favorite person on the planet.

Maybe it’s good other Sarah moved to Japan. I could be the new Mayor Sarah in town.