How Social Groups Can Help Adults Build New Connections in New Hampshire

I moved to New Hampshire for a new job. A fresh start. A chance to build something new.

What I wasn't prepared for was how hard it would be to meet people.

Like a lot of people who relocate for work, I quickly fell into a routine. I'd wake up at 3:30am, go to work, go to the gym, come home to my apartment, and work some more. Day after day.

Don't get me wrong. I love what I do.

But after a while, I realized most of my conversations were happening on the radio, in meetings, through text messages, or with people hundreds of miles away.

I'd occasionally take myself out to dinner. Sometimes I'd jump in the car and take a random road trip through New Hampshire up to the Lakes Region or a drive up the coast of Maine just to get out of the apartment for a few hours. I've explored beaches, small towns, mountain roads, and plenty of coffee shops by myself. I'm not used to that.  it's all new to me. Saturday or Sunday mornings at Breakaway Cafe are a thing for me.

And while there was something peaceful about those solo adventures, there were definitely moments when I thought, "Man, I wish I had some people to hang out with."

The older we get, the harder it becomes to build friendships.

When you're a kid, friends happen naturally. School, sports, clubs, neighborhood bikes rides. In college, you're surrounded by people your age going through the same experiences.

As adults? Not so much.

READ MORE: Here Are 14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering Locally Grown Strawberries

That's why I've become fascinated by the growth of groups like Seacoast Stories, walking clubs (who knew there were groups of people that just wanted to walk around town and talk), hiking groups, pickleball leagues, book clubs, and social meetups popping up across New Hampshire and New England.

Credit: Getty Images

These groups aren't really about walking.

They're not really about dinner.

They're not even really about hiking.

They're about connection.

They're about giving people a reason to leave the house and an opportunity to meet someone they otherwise never would have met.

And judging by how many of these groups are growing, I'm clearly not the only person who's felt this way.

Whether you're new to New Hampshire, recently divorced, an empty nester, working remotely, or just looking to expand your circle, there's something comforting about knowing there are other people out there looking for the exact same thing.

A conversation.

A friendship.

A community.

Maybe that's why these groups are taking off.

Because at the end of the day, most of us aren't looking for hundreds of friends.

We're just looking for our people.