Meeting and making new friends

I guess in reality I moved from Delaware for all the wrong reasons. But I like to live by the adage that everything, even wrong things, happen for a reason. To teach us lessons, put us in different places in our lives, help us grow and become stronger, the list goes on.

I even believe that everyone you encounter comes into your life for a reason - how does that saying go... some come into your life and stay forever leaving footprints on your heart, others come into our lives to teach us a lesson and once that lesson is learned, their purpose is served and we/they move on.

So even though at times I feel I made the wrong decision, maybe it wasn't after all. One thing I know for sure is I miss my friends terribly. I never knew how much I'd miss not having my best friend within a short drive, someone to visit, go to a movie with, chat over coffee or tea about nothing, someone to cry over a silly chick flix, etc.

In addition at 40 its hard to find places to make new friends. Unless you have kids in the school system or you work for a larger company, where DO you go to meet others with similar interests? You just can't walk up to some stranger in the grocery store and say "HI MY NAME IS KIM, I'M LOOKING FOR A FRIEND, WOULD YOU BE MY NEW FRIEND" sure try that and see if your not locked up in the looney bin.. men in white coats coming to get you with that funny jacket to slip into...

So something my boss did gave me an idea... the other weekend she had extra tickets to Ravinia, an outdoor concert venue, she posted a message on craigs list under strictly platonic to go to the concert that she had 3 tickets... it worked out well for her, she ended up meeting a really nice lady friend and now they seem to be hitting it off and hangin' out more often.

So I posted under the same heading, strictly platonic, that I has moved back to this area in 2004 and was looking to meet some new friends to hang out with (I mean the ad was worded differently but that was the gist of it) well I got some great response from other ladies in the same boat... either new to the area or had been stay at home moms and they too were looking for friends to meet and get to know.

One lady in particular, thru exchanging several emails, we seem to hit it off. She is 37 has been a SAHM, raising 5 kids, 12 yr old boy, 11 yr old boy triplets and a 10yr old girl, whew no wonder she hasn't been out. Anyhow she and I are going to meet up tonight. Going to have dinner then go see the new movie that is out The Devil Wears Prada.

We seem to have a lot in common, even though she is a mom and I'm not.. We are both into running (she more than I), she is fascinated by the whole bodybuilding thing and promises not to ask to many questions bout it (i thought that was funny and told her she could ask all she wanted) - actually a good mix,she can keep me motivated to run and be my running companion from time to time and I can encourage her to do some weight training and again be my partner from time to time. Both like downtown Chicago but hate to go alone, like baseball games but not on TV at the stadium, window shopping, museums, zoo, etc.. So I'm very excited to meet her tonight and see if indeed we could become friends.

Typically I am VERY shy and reserved but just in our email exchanges we seem to get along like we've already known each other, so I might find I won't be as shy as I think...

HHHMMM maybe I SHOULD try the whole internet dating thing if this works out :o)