New Friends

New cities or new churches or new schools or new neighborhoods bring new friends. Even though I have been in this city almost 4 years, I am still making friends here. I read something the other day that talked about how new friendships can stretch us, make us grow.  That made me think about some recent new friendships.

Last week, my friend Lauren gathered a group of us to meet at a Thai restaurant in order to spend time with a woman who just moved here a few months ago.  I called Lauren on the way there because I was running late and wasn't entirely sure where I was going. Plus, the neighborhood was seeming a teeny bit sketchy.  I was still on the phone with her when I found it.  "Um... how did we hear about this place?" I asked Lauren.  I pulled into the lot of the restaurant which was attached to, as Holly later put it, "a stop and shoot."  The other women saw children peeking out the window sill of that convenience store, but I didn't take enough time to really assess. I didn't want to be hanging in the parking lot too long.

Once inside, I completely left my exterior doubts outside. It was a beautiful, cozy room with wood paneling and a tranquil setting. I saw Holly already seated and sipping tea, and I saw another woman at a different table who looked like she could be part of the group, and as soon as Laura walked in, she was able to connect all of four of us without Lauren's help, which was good because she was still trying to find this tidy little restaurant.

By the end of the evening, I had met two new people, Laura and Becca, and had tried some yummy new dishes.  I love ordering family style anyway, but it was nice to do with people you didn't know well because you felt too bad to say--"I don't think that sounds good" so you tried more. (Except Lauren, who is pregnant, had a license to say, "No. I won't eat that."). Laura is an architect and just bought a house in a historical district, and Becca is married to an architect and lives in another historical area. So, this totally fed my desire to be an artist (or at least be friends with them!).  Plus, one had been to Thailand and one to Nepal. I mean really. So cool.

All this to say, I like the stretching part of meeting new friends. I like the new connections and the way your mind opens up and goes in a new direction than it has in a while (Nepal? Not sure my mind has ever really traveled there). I like the unexpected turns of conversation; you don't have the same ole complaints you share with some old friends, and you can't get into too much gossip because you don't know all the same people. It pushes your topics.

Even though we didn't linger in the parking lot (because some new characters were arriving at the convenience store), we had lingered at the table inside.  And my thoughts have returned to that table and food and restaurant several times since then, thinking I need to cultivate new friendships more often.