But that doesn't mean that if you want to meet new people you have to immediately download Tinder or Bumble.
Then again, meeting people in real life isn’t always easy when everyone walking down the street seems to have their headphones in, music blaring. So let’s say you’ve just moved to the city. You’re looking for social interaction or you want to put an end to being single. What do you have to do to make it happen?
After a deep dive into Reddit threads in which I read some hope filled comments such as, “I’ve lived in Ottawa all my life and I still don't know how to meet people” and “why do we have such a hard time meeting people in this city?...If I was single in this city, I'd be scared.”
I genuinely became concerned for the people of Ottawa.
So, what I’m saying is - do something you love. Whether that something is specific or just a desire to go out and be social.
Faith in meeting people in real life doesn’t seem too strong - at least on Reddit. And we all know if Reddit says it’s true - it is. Kidding. A singular Reddit thread is likely not truly representative of Ottawa. For all I know, the thread is filled with fellow introverts who panic at the thought of meeting new people.
However, there were a few helpful comments that all seemed to follow a similar theme: hobbies.
Everyone seems to recommend joining a local sports team, scouring Facebook events and checking local meetups. And every single time I asked someone from Ottawa (or at least lived in Ottawa for an extended period of time) where you go to find new people, they suggested just that.
Like board games? The Loft Board Game Lounge offers weekly events. Into Sports? The Ottawa Sports and Social Club came up more than a few times.
Just typing in Ottawa Meetup into google search opened up opportunities to find people who love everything from books, to hiking, horror movies, knitting or even just...being single.
There’s a group dedicated to Silly People in their 20’s Who Just like Doing Stuff for “people who want a group like in How I Met Your Mother and even though they could watch a whole season in a night, know they should probably get out of the house.”
So, what I’m saying is - do something you love. Whether that something is specific or just a desire to go out and be social.
As nice as it is to have moral support, heading to a social event solo makes you more approachable and forces you to chat with other people.
Joining a group activity, even a small one, can make conversation easier. There’s less pressure to contribute to the conversation and you don’t have to worry about coming to an awkward halt.
You can relax, be yourself, all without the fear of an inevitable awkward silence.
And now that we have access to things like social media, it makes people super accessible. So reaching out to a group member before-hand to get an idea of the group is easy and meeting up outside of the event is as simple as using instant messenger.
Oh and avoid bringing a plus-one.
As nice as it is to have moral support, heading to a social event solo makes you more approachable and forces you to chat with other people. Bring along a friend and you risk spending the day talking with them instead of striking up conversations with new people.
If all else fails, and you’re still having a hard time finding someone, why not just sign up for Wandure and we’ll plan everything for you. No need to stress about where you’re going or whether the conversation will go anywhere - it's all taken care of.
