Making Friends in Western Washington (Seattle, Redmond: living, gym, shop)

[KidBlue]

Originally Posted by relocated46

I liked the idea of checking out the red hat ladies. I am also not 50 yet, but I understand they have a purple hat society for those not yet there. I don't look good in hats either, but maybe we could find a group that would prefer scarves or belts. Hanford, Ca the town I moved from is a very tight old family town. My husband says he never felt that he fit the nitch but that I had been accepted to the clique.

Hi Relocated46. Women under 50 wear pink and lavender instead of purple and red, but you can join at any age. Some of the members of my group wear red or pink visors and hair clips with feathers instead of hats.

Just got back yesterday from doing a workshop in Visalia. Nice to visit, but glad I'm back in the Capitol today to rest. Good luck making new friends.

[DogLvr]

My computer was on the fritz for a week, it looks like this topic went off for a while. To sum up what I have gathered from my 8 years here= I think WA`is a wonderful state, beautiful and the locals believe it is the only place to live, and for them, I am happy. When I moved here, I said I would never leave, and I meant it. But, the weather grew on me, at first you think to yourself-Rain is good, it waters the lawn, keeps the flowers growing, I can still do what I want, only with my hood up. Then the rain stops and the gray comes and stays until surprise, it starts raining again. In our 8 years, we have had 2 4th of July holidays that it didn't rain/drizzle/spit/shower. I have had to wear sweats to Seattle's SeaFair boat races in August!! When we moved here everyone told us "the locals just go on doing whatever they want outside, they don't even notice the rain". Nice sell for real state agents lore, I think that is something the locals tell themselves since maybe when they were kids it didn't stop them, but now you look down a bike path, park, ball field, residential street, beach...you don't see hardly any adults there in the rain/drizzle/spit/showers (not that I blame them). They are all somewhere but it isn't outside! So, in order to settle in, we figured people hangout at their homes, so we did the Christmas party thing at our place, baked brownies and welcome the new family to the neighborhood (found out they moved there from the very next town over, had tons of family and never spoke to us again other than the "neighbor wave"), hosted the non profit groups BBQ at our place, had people over for dinner - everyone told us how lucky they were to have us here, they would come over at a moment's notice...but, no connections. No close friends. We came to the conclusion that we had settled in an area that had not had very much of an influx of new people, so the locals didn't know how to relate to someone that didn't have 7 cousins and all their same high school friends around. I found it interesting the people who posted on this thread how friendly people here are, have lived in W. WA all their lives. Where I lived in CA (Vacaville 1985-1998) it was truly a transient area due to the local Air Force base, but it taught people how to say hi, welcome, want come over for coffee and let the kids play? You learned to seize the opportunity and have a new friend or at least a friendly neighbor. I had no connection to the base in any way but it did keep the "new blood" flowing in the area. Most of my interactions with the locals left me with the opinion they are well mannered, polite, law abiding, and friendly in a superficial way. The are not risk takers in meeting new people, so new connections are rare. And as a side note, I am a small town gal, grew up in No. Ca in a rural farming town of 1200, moved to the northbay area in my 30's. I lived with hard working, honest, open people. I didn't trust my gut feeling the first few years I was here, I stubbornly thought the new set of friends to play cards with, go camping & boating with, dinner occasionally was just around the corner. But along about 2002 I realized, it isn't me! I know friendly, open people and they aren't anywhere around me. Since we have bought our new home back in CA, and are happily preparing to leave, people in my service club, volunteer group, professional group all say "Why are you leaving, it's so pretty here, and oh, yeah, we were going to ask you over for dinner, take you crabbing, show you my sailboat, etc." To that I say, thanks but it's a tad too late.

[jwb123]

I found it interesting the people who posted on this thread how friendly people here are, have lived in W. WA all their lives.

SUCH a GOOD point!!

I totally concur with your post 100% - have had the same thoughts, noticed the exact same things... seriously!!

[binky2bink]

Hey everyone,

I've lived in Western Washington for my whole life, and to all you who have problems making new friends - it's definitely not you! Well, I can at least speak for the weather ~ all it makes you want to do is put on about 5 layers of clothing and hang out in front of the computer screen/tv and not bother with anybody .

I probably count as one of those 'friendly...but not' Seattle people though. When it's hot and sunny out in the summer I feel much more out-going.

I haven't lived anywhere else so I can't speak for it but California sounds very appealing right now...

[compltlyme]

Originally Posted by binky2bink

Hey everyone,

I've lived in Western Washington for my whole life, and to all you who have problems making new friends - it's definitely not you! Well, I can at least speak for the weather ~ all it makes you want to do is put on about 5 layers of clothing and hang out in front of the computer screen/tv and not bother with anybody .

I probably count as one of those 'friendly...but not' Seattle people though. When it's hot and sunny out in the summer I feel much more out-going.

I haven't lived anywhere else so I can't speak for it but California sounds very appealing right now...

wow and I am one of those FROM Southern Ca that loves the weather up here. When it is rainy or cloudy I love going outside for a walk. Yes I bundle up..but I love going into places, bank, PO, store... and chat with people.

Funny how when I woke up the other day and saw it was still sunny... My mood turned a bit sour. Today the clouds are coming back and I am off to be outside all day!!! Too many years in the sun I guess.

[shadow42]

I, too, was sorry to hear that it is so hard to make good, lasting relationships up in the Seattle area. My husband lived up there for 12yrs and just loved it. His friends are so warm and welcoming that I thought it would be a great place to relocate. After reading all this about how difficult it is up there to make good friends, I have told him I no longer want to consider WA. I am a stay at home mom and we currently live in So.CA. and believe me, it is no better down here. The people are "friendly", but you never really have any friends. I, too, have had dinner party after dinner party and have rarely gotten recipropcation. I have totally given up. I have lived here for almost 10 years and I am just done, done, done. This is one of the major reasons I want OUT of here and it can't be soon enough! So, for those who are hoping CA will be easier to make lasting friends....don't get your hopes up! Sorry, but it is true. Oh, and you can also expect superficiality and materialism up the wazoo for good measure.

[DogLvr]

I could have written Compltlyme's comments the first 5 years in was here (my adult son commented after I moved here I should have gone to work at the Chamber of Commerce since I was so sold on the place...). Then it started creeping up on me, that little voice that says softly..."was this move a mistake...am I really happy or do I just not want to admit an error in judgement?..." and "What's wrong with me?" And to the post about health, diet, and exercise, sorry we got all that in our life-we are very fit, nutritionally educated, watch our diet, love to cook healthy, yummy food (that's why everyone came to our house to eat!). Settling for the inside of our house for entertainment just KILLED us, especially when the weekend rolled around, and it was the same crappy weather, week after week! We bought a house with a huge deck, 1/2 basketball court, and brick fire pit. It was a great house as long as we wanted to use all that outside entertainment area in the 4 weeks of "summer". I do agree, I think the weather plays a huge role in the "chilliness" of the people.

[DogLvr]

KidBlue-
Moving to Garden Valley and have good friends in Grizzly Flats. Camped for years in Coloma.

Friendly town=Vacaville, has grown in the past 8 years, but is still a good place to live even with the pains that come with growth- it is just too big for me. I want a slower lifestyle with friendly folks, spring/fall without my heavy coat and gloves & sunshine)

I kid you not, people here talk for a week if we get 3 days of sunshine in a row, it makes the "joke" part of the weather cast on TV.

[Seattletony]

Originally Posted by shadow42

I, too, was sorry to hear that it is so hard to make good, lasting relationships up in the Seattle area. My husband lived up there for 12yrs and just loved it. His friends are so warm and welcoming that I thought it would be a great place to relocate. After reading all this about how difficult it is up there to make good friends, I have told him I no longer want to consider WA. I am a stay at home mom and we currently live in So.CA. and believe me, it is no better down here. The people are "friendly", but you never really have any friends. I, too, have had dinner party after dinner party and have rarely gotten recipropcation. I have totally given up. I have lived here for almost 10 years and I am just done, done, done. This is one of the major reasons I want OUT of here and it can't be soon enough! So, for those who are hoping CA will be easier to make lasting friends....don't get your hopes up! Sorry, but it is true. Oh, and you can also expect superficiality and materialism up the wazoo for good measure.

Don't listen to most people on this thread. For some odd reason they have it in for Seattle/W. Washington. I have stated this before and I will state it again 2/3rds of the people who live in the Puget Sound area are from another state of the country for a source check 2000 census.

Obviously the Puget Sound area/W. Washington gets more rain than Socal so they will be a definite adjustment. Moving to a new place, it is always difficult at first but the right kind of person shouldn't have problem making freinds. Everyone on here is a phsyciatrist so they no better than me a native.

[compltlyme]

after reading all the posts I just want to say as difficult as it has been to make friends up here. I won't give up.. Western Wa is worth it!!! I love it up here!!!