Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship #155 - Thriving Solo: Making Friends and Creating Community After a Big Move (with Lisa Giordano)
After 31 years on the East Coast, Lisa Giordano decided (less than a year ago) to make a big move to Austin, Texas, with zero local contacts and a personal challenge to build a community and social life from scratch. In this upbeat conversation, Lisa tells us what really works (and what does not) when you’re starting over single in a brand-new city—or simply trying to make new friends right where you've lived for years.
WHAT WE COVER:
- Admitting you want friends: Why naming the need out loud is the best thing to do.
- DMs & daily errands: The social media message and the post-office line that sparked Lisa’s first new friendships.
- The “one-plan” weekend rule: A realistic guardrail against both isolation and social burnout.
- Why nearby beats “perfect”: How living a few miles apart can matter more than instant chemistry.
- Mixed age friendships: The benefits of friendships with people in similar life stages but different ages.
- When you don't click: Not taking things too personally is essential to moving forward and finding new potential friends.
- Solo time as a skill: Creating intentional solo time so your happiness isn’t dependent on anyone else's schedule.
- It's never too late to make new friends: I shared a story about my mom's recent 80th birthday party.
LINKS & RESOURCES:
- My episode on Lisa's podcast, Surthriving
- Episode #130 with Hallie Sawyer on "Sober Curiosity"
- Episode #115 on "Freshmen Energy" and making new friends as an adult
- Lisa on Instagram and TikTok
MEET LISA GIORDANO:
After living in the northeast for all of her life, Lisa took a leap of faith at the age of 31 and moved cross country to Austin, Texas, without knowing anyone. Filling her car to the brim and driving across the country with her cat, she embarked on a new journey and decided to document it along the way. Lisa is a typical single 30-something building a life she thrives in. She makes lifestyle content and documents navigating her 30s, starting over, solo life, life in Austin, and anything else that inspires her! Find her on Instagram and TikTok and on her podcast, Surthriving.
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