bobzare

Hi everyone!

I'm growing through a strange period of adjustment in Paris...despite having lived here for over 5 years, the close friends I have made have left and I'm left with a few friends that I see every few weeks but not on a regular basis.

I"m trying to develop a more established social circle (not based on just going out for drinks) but it's proving harder than I thought (definitely harder than when I was doing my masters here). I work from home so I don't have colleagues I see every day.

I'm struggling to find my "group" and was wondering to those who have been able to establish a solid social life in Paris, how did you do it?

Thanks!

dmu

Hi, go along to your Mairie d'Arrondissement for a list of Clubs and Associations which you can join and make friends with people of like interests. Even in my village of 1000 souls there are walking-, gym-, martial arts-, dance-clubs, and arts and crafts, parlour games, bingo... sessions. In Paris you'll have countless more to choose from.
You could also go along to St Michael's or St George's Churches to see what activities they've got. (You wouldn't necessarily have to be a church-goer....).
Or you could offer your services to a Charity - even if you don't actually make friends with the other volunteers outside "work", this would give you a social activity.
HTH

EuroTrash

You say you work from home - what kind of work do you do? Are you a member of a union, or is there one you could join?
For instance I joined the French translators syndicate and they ran a full and varied programme of events - a mixture of social outings and dinners, and workhops/seminars/presentations. I picked up a lot of valuable insights from the workshops and seminars, some oif it specifically translation-related but also stuff about cybersecurity and general business and administrative issues, and the social events were fun in themselves and also a way of meeting people with the same interests. This wasn't in Paris but if I had been in Paris there would have been far more events within reach. Anyway it worked for me, I would go so far as to say that it enriched my life greatly. In fact I initially joined purely because I hoped it would bring me clients - which it also did - and I didn't expect to become a very active member. The social and general 'intellectual stimulation' benefits (for want of a better term) were an unexpected bonus.

Of course dmu's suggestions would probably be healthier in that they would get you to focus on other interests which is arguable bettter than meeting people in the same line of activity all the time and talking shop. The trouble is I'm not actually a very sociable person, I'm no good at social chit chat and I'd rather be on my own doing stuff I want to do, than surrounded by people I don't have anything in common with.

dmu

That's interesting! I was a member of the SFT for years when I was in Paris and suburbs, but I only ever went to the AGM.
We are of a kind, I'm not a very sociable person, either. Working at home and concentrating on bringing two daughters up, I didn't have time to have another life. But we moved down south when OH retired and, when the children flew the nest and I myself retired, I needed more than OH's company! I proceeded to join various Associations in the village and made friends who were otherwise simply acquaintances to wave hello to from the car. Having said that, I rarely go to organized dinners, as I dislike social chit-chat, too!
Until Covid and before I had health issues, I used to help out at the nearest Restos du Coeur, but never "made friends" with the other volunteers. Three hours once a week was our mutual limit!