Is it just me or is making new friends as an adult harder than when you were a kid? 

There are entire Reddit boards dedicated to helping people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond make new friendships. 

The reality is we form new connections differently as we age. Some of it is location based.  College students have built in opportunities to meet new people through classes and shared living arrangements. 

But, things change when you graduate and move into the real world. Get married or become a parent and they change again.  You find yourself in new environments and those opportunities to form new connections shrinks based on your responsibilities. 

But having good friends is key to managing stress and happiness. But it's definitely harder to meet new friends as an adult. 

I met Cindy Muchnick, an educational consultant and co-author of The Parent Compass, during the pandemic when I interviewed her on Zoom.  We found ourselves chatting about all kinds of things after the interview.  Years later, we've only seen each other in person one time. But, we now exchange Christmas cards! 

Cindy recently moved and has gone all-in on cementing her friend circle.  In one case, that meant trying to re-establish a friendship with a college classmate turned Facebook friend she hadn't talked to in 30 years!  

"One day I just sent her a private message, and I said, hey, do you want to Zoom? I haven't talked to you in like 30 years. I'm super embarrassed, but I'd love to hear what your life has been since college, and she said, yes," said Cindy.