Lockdown gave me opportunity to connect and reconnect with a lot more people than ever before. I am married and naturally introvert. But I felt I have never been this social before.

Of course, it started with work happy hours over Zoom, then I started organizing happy hours with my friends. Then proceeded to have happy hours with old friends around the world who I would have never thought about reconnecting. Of course, some of happy hours were just dinners, some were with wife's friends. Strangely, my wife who considers herself extrovert didn't really enjoy virtual gatherings and she been having very rough time. I wish I could help her but she just wants to meet people in person. And yes I spend a lot of time with her, watching Netflix etc. But pretty sure if I was single, I would have been able to do more Zoom/virtual gatherings.

Here are some of the way I socialize online:

1. Super large happy hours - perfect for introverts because some people will keep the conversation going and you can chillax.

2. Drink with just one or two people on Zoom - works with close friends only but you can have meaningful conversations.

3. Watch movie/show while on Zoom/phone. Works great if you and your friends like to make comments during movies.

4. Video games - online or single player. You don't have to play same game, fun to have a conversation while playing games. Use bluetooth headsets.

5. BBQ. I even done pool party last summer. Not everyone had access to pool but they could still join us.

6. Join random meetup on Zoom around the world and learn something new. Invite your friends to join you.

7. Zoom workout challenges, though not fun for me. We do push ups and squats.

And to get started, just sch. a fb event and invite a few friends. It is awkward initially but many people will thank you for organizing it, and then it gets easier.

user:	simplestman
created:	January 13, 2021
karma:	13