The Art of Picking Up a Friend.

Say What?! Well I make sure are kids have a kazillion play dates. I take them to the park to play with kids. I take them to school to be socialized. I even make sure the husbands of friends I have can be friends with my husband. Well what about me? Who makes new friends for me?
I have to say being in the Bahamas has probably been the easiest place to make friends. Mainly because most of us at the Embassy with kids are in the same boat. We need things to do with the children. While we may live in Paradise aside for the beach and zoo there is not many kid friendly places. So any time a new person arrives on the island we are on them like hawks! (Which then makes them my friend, right?)
Outside of school and Embassy friends I don't have a single local friend. *gasp* the horror I know! Let me take you back in time a little bit. It's a sunny day in Mobile Alabama. I am at a water fountain park with Alena she is not even 2. She meets a little girl the same age as her and they quickly hit it off. So slowly I work my way over to the other mom. We start to chit chat and find out that her and Rob grew up in the same town in NY. How crazy what a small world. Now it's time to leave. I have to exchange numbers because the kids had so much fun and I liked the mom. We awkwardly did so and 5 years later still joke about it. Lovely story right? Well lets move forward in time some. Rob, his friend, and myself are at a bar in VA. Rob and his friend are having a great time but I was kind of the third wheel. A new bartender comes in and her and I hit it off. We get to talking and she lives on the street behind me, our girls go to the same school, so much in common! I gave her my number and she did the same. A week goes by and she doesn't call... I call her. SHE GAVE ME A FAKE NUMBER!! I got fake numbered!! WOW!
OK are you done laughing? Back to present day. I don't make the first move any more. Were you aware that making friends was as crazy as the dating scene. Jeeze! Meeting moms at the park, school and soccer is more my comfort zone these days.
So the other day I was at Starbucks. I like to go there when I need my Americano fix. I ran into a lady doing the exact same thing as me! We stayed there forever venting about our new Bahamian lifestyles. Yes again I know I know Paradise but we do have things to vent about. I wanted to say lets do this again it was fun but didn't. Thank goodness as I went to leave she asked for my number. So i guess techinally she is not a local, but it's a start.
Friends are made for us, then we go to school, then we go to work. Then there are people like me who move every 3-4 years. I am blessed to have friends all over the world. :)