With our move to Brighton, the main focus was on finding a place to live, moving all the furniture and getting the commute right. Now that we’re here something major has come to light – I need to make some new friends!
In my early thirties, I’m faced with a challenge that, frankly, I have never had before – making friends in a new town.
Growing up and going to university in the same home town meant I had friends from a young age – of course I made lots of friends when I joined new schools and started at university, but I already had friends I knew so it wasn’t very difficult to expand the circle.
When I came to London I was on a graduate scheme with an instant set of new friends – and made strong bonds that still endure today.
So now that I’ve moved to Brighton I’m faced with the very real prospect of starting from scratch – if I want to have friends nearby and in the same town at least.
Google is my usual port of call for any problem to be solved – but search engines work well when you know what you want – e.g. “swimming club in Brighton”. But what about when you’re not sure what you want to do? Suddenly I am faced with the dilemma of needing to make a new circle of friends, but also choose how I am going to do that – what are my hobbies and interests that I want to pursue further through a class or a club?
This article doesn’t end with a resolution – the search continues. I’m hoping to do something with photography, music, potentially cycling or sailing. Right now I am still just trying to get my bearings, find out what Brighton has to offer as a town – and find classes/events that coincide with my commute/teleworking pattern. The search continues!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Just found this and reading with interest! We’re considering the same move and your story sounds similar to ours. We’re thinking about buying in Brighton as we’re currently renting in London. The commute is the biggest worry for me so would be great to hear how you’re getting on with it! Hope you’ve managed to meet a few people down there..
Dan..
Hi Dan, thanks for your comment. I’ve been very lax on postings of late – probably because I’ve been enjoying life in Brighton so much! Do drop me a line if you make the move – in the meantime I will take the incentive to write a post and share some updates on how I’ve been getting on. Graham