Master the Tricky Art of Making New Friends as an Adult

About a year ago, I found myself alone in a very quiet house. Both my daughters were off in college, and I was working remotely, staring at a computer screen all day long. I missed the back-and-forth of being around female friends, so I did something that was way out of my comfort zone—I joined a Bollywood-style dance team.

I'd been taking Masala Bhangra classes for a few years in person, and then on Zoom when the pandemic hit. It was a fun workout, but after the cooldown, I’d just grab my bag and rush home (or log off my laptop) without talking to any of the other students.

So, when the teacher asked me to join a group of 20 dancers who would learn a routine over two months and perform it at festivals around town, I debated it for a few days but then closed my eyes and jumped. Soon, I was meeting up before rehearsals to go over the moves with my fellow dancers, or going out for drinks and nachos after. By our last performance, I'd made several new friends.