Life · Moving to a new city · 25-34
The loneliness of my first year in a new city
Shared anonymously·August 25, 2026
What happened
I moved for a job to a city where I knew no one. I underestimated how lonely evenings and weekends would feel.
What I wish I knew
Adult friendship requires the awkward step of asking someone out for coffee twice.
What helped me
Joining one recurring weekly thing. A run club. Not chasing a group; letting one showing up become a habit.
What I would tell someone going through this now
Six months feels like forever, but it is the shape of the loneliness, not the length. Show up anyway.
#loneliness#moving#new city
A quiet reply
Have you been here too?
Your response tells someone they aren't alone. It isn't a like.
Someone else's experience just met you where you are.
Pass it forward