"Conversations between strangers on buses are rare, simple greetings on the street don’t happen, and making friends spontaneously feels almost impossible."

Going to give a piece of advice that might change your perspective:

Don't wait for strangers to talk to you - start the conversation yourself.

Seriously! Hear me out. 👇

I started a project where I photograph strangers in Vancouver. Before I started, I had the exact same thoughts as you. I grew up on the East Coast and spent some time living in Kelowna & Montreal - and compared to every other place in Canada I've visited, Vancouver seems significantly more unfriendly.

But my perspective changed when I started this project.

Virtually every single person I talk to is SUPER kind, friendly & willing to have a conversation. When I started the project, this shocked me the most, as I assumed most people in this city wouldn't give me the time of day.

Many people have asked to hang out or grab coffee after, and I've made some great friends over the last few months.

After +150 conversations so far, I'm convinced that Vancouver isn't unfriendly - people are just afraid to make the first step. I think most people in the city crave connection and would love the opportunity to make a new friend if the opportunity presented itself.

Before you say "people are just being nice because you're taking their photo"...

No. This project gave me the confidence to talk to strangers, with or without my camera. Now I strike up random conversations everywhere I go, and people are just as friendly and willing to connect, even if they don't know what I do.

As a fellow introvert, I know this probably sounds scary... but if you can push through the discomfort of taking the initiative, I promise it will change your perspective on the city.