making friends

making friends...it's a hard thing to do.

it has been a whopping 36 hours since g left for peru, and i have to admit, life is kinda lonely without him around. i didn't realize how much he is a part of my daily life, from our mornings spent drinking coffee and tea to our evenings spent cooking and feasting. granted not every day is spent together since we both work, but even when one of us is gone, there is a subtle presence lurking. an empty glass. a laptop on the bed. a wet towel hung in the bathroom. but in this past day-and-a-half, one piece is missing. my companion.

this got me thinking: if i had more friends, i wouldn't feel so lonely. i would just give them a call and we'd meet for lunch or go on a walk or heck, go to a museum. but the thing is, i DO have friends...everywhere else. my closest friends, the ones i would actually meet over lunch or do those "friend-type" of things with, live in other cities and states. and so instead of reaching out and trying to make friends with people who are within reach, i resort to being by myself.

making friends after college is hard. no longer do i have a community of people with a similar age, interests, and experience at my fingertips. the people i meet today have different agendas, priorities, work experience, etc. married with children. single and in med school. dating around and confused as hell. rather than get to know these people and make a possible connection, i convince myself that i'm perfectly okay with life as is, always looking forward to the next time i get to see one of my "close" friends.

this article in the new york times completely resonated with me. although the author focuses on people in their 30's, i was still intrigued by how this is an issue for many adults, not just me. i can't say i have an answer to how i'll make new friends, but i do know that i'll be counting down the days for my greatest companion of all to make his way back home.