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By the wonderful Brooke Barker of Sad Animal Facts.
P.S. Making new friends as an adult, and a cookbook club.
Making New Friends
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After a long time commuting between cities for love I made the jump and moved to Austin,TX. While my original home is 65 miles away it feels like 650. My new job is full of very nice people, I’m sure, but it’s a struggle to not feel lonely in our huge, screamingly quiet office downtown. Now when that happens I think about this post, take a deep breath, and remember that I’m *not* the only adult woman in this city who is waiting desperately for someone to say the wrong thing or be a awkwardly honest about what is happening inside his/her head — which to me is always a sign of the right person and my newest friend.
YES! OMG this is me… still waiting for the person who enjoys my awkward stories…
Yes! So on point. And Sad Animal Facts is great.
This really brightened my day. I deal with social anxiety and this goes through my head a gazillion times a day. Glad I’m not alone. :)
SAME! I’m constantly awkward or crass due to my social anxiety. I’m four months into a new job, and am so self-conscious about EVERYTHING that comes out of my mouth. HELP!
This makes me really happy!!! I love Sad Animal Facts so much and am excited to see more of Brooke’s other stuff!
This is just such a nice community of women, I feel so lucky to have found it seven years ago!
This reminds me of the most amazing play, Mouthpiece. It’s a two woman play who together make one character in the wake of her mother’s death. It’s been made into an incredible film this year too. Here’s the trailer for the play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILvNjYJo-G0 (can’t find the movie trailer, but it’s really worth seeing if you notice it playing at a film festival in your city!)
I am a chatty person and I don’t mind to speak to strangers – so far, but I love this! Great illustrations Brooke! Thank you!
So excited to see Brooke’s work here! Awesome!
I’m nodding in my head.
So fun seeing Brooke’s work here! I love following her on Instagram! :)
Brooke, you are just the cleverest of clever.
Just the LOLs I needed today! My partner and I moved to a new city a few months ago and have been missing hanging out with a good circle of girlfriends. To remedy this situation I downloaded Bumble BFF and now have two fun friend dates lined up for the weekend. It feels almost like dating! I am excited to hang out with my new friends but also a little nervous. This comic is so, so relatable and gave me just the little push I need to have fun and listen to the voice inside my head that says “Go out and enjoy these new connections – you can do it!” Lots of love and many thanks to Brooke Barker and the COJ team. <3
Aw! Nice to see friday comics are back. I always loved the ones you featured from Mari Andrews. This one is so true and sweet. Can’t wait to see what other illustrators you feature!
I relate to this so much and love this entire post, but especially that last panel! For every time we are the brunette, we’re better able to be the blonde and help someone find a connection.
Just wondering how you got right inside my head?
Love this. So much.
You know when something resonates so much with a past experience, you feel like it was an entire READ of yourself? Goodness. I cry-laughed.
I’m kind of in the “like it or lump” friend making stage of my life. I ramble and make friends in running group and have never been happier.
Love this so much!!!!!
Love this
This is me. I’m just going to laminate this and hand it out after each awkward conversation.
this one pretty much some up all of my adult new friendship interactions… I am rarely (if ever) disappointed when I listen to my friendlier inner self, but my ever “too cool” outer self still always tries to embarrass me out of it…
Oh my gosh, this just made me laugh so hard! Thanks!
My kindergartener told me on our walk home from school: “I made a new friend today.” Me: “how do you make new friends?” Him: “you just play with them and then you’re friends!”
(Has never felt so simple to me. But maybe it should be?)
Haha! My kids say, “I asked if they’d be my friend and they said yes” to explain the new friend they made. If they havent asked yet, they aren’t labeled friends yet. If they say no, they move on. I agree, it’s so simple when you’re a little kid! Let’s all be kids!
Aah, that reminds me of this incredible video! Bonus, children with British accents, in case you find that as adorable as I do.
I’m not sure why exactly, but this made me tear up!
Exactly :)
Awkward moments are good. They allow you to find the people who are cool enough to be cool with awkward too.
Agreed! Embrace the awkward, work through it- no shame!
That’s a great idea! Love these..Also have you ever seen theCooperReview stuff by Sarah Cooper? It always cracks me up :D
Ha!! You truly never know what is going to land! Thank you for this.
xo,
from both me and my inner voice/judge/cheerleader/doubter/…
I’m moving to Amsterdam in January and this made me tear up :/ It’s nice to know other people feel this way too!
“This is a weird story, stop!” hahaha yep
Oh, this really rings true for me! I’m a new doula and I’m struggling with making professional connections. I need to listen to that second version of myself a little more. Thank you.
Hi Emma! Just want to say thanks for being a doula. I was (am) one too. Hang in there, sending you lucky vibes for making some doula friends.
Oh my god, so true. The number of complete strangers out there in the world who know weirdly personal things about me due to situations like these is a much higher number than I’m comfortable contemplating….
HAHA! I love this! That’s so me – awkward story person after a LOT of internal dialog about what to say that isn’t awkward! :)
LOVE THIS
So relatable !!!
Yay Brooke! Thanks for giving me a LOL on a day when I needed it :)
Love this ?
So true! Love the com!
Maybe I’m feeling sensitive, but it made me tear up! What a beautiful description of how it can feel to try to connect with people!
aghhhh! I LOVE brooke’s stuff! So glad to see her here!
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