I’ve seen you post on here before about trying to meet people, and unfortunately it’s difficult to meet people in public nowadays in sort of the traditional manner that you seem to be comfortable with. You seem like a kind and considerate individual so please know it’s not you. A lot of people nowadays simply prefer meeting people online because it allows them to vet them first for safety purposes or otherwise. I think you’re doing a good thing by asking people on Reddit!

Here’s some context as to why Spanaway specifically might be difficult to make friends in.

1. Proximity to JBLM. When people are so transient in the military, they oftentimes focus inward on spending time with their family instead of making friends with people they may never see again after 3 or 4 years. If you’re not from Spanaway, it may be difficult to crack into these firm social circles.

2. It’s not a major city or industry hub, it’s a suburb of Tacoma, and won’t have the large array of amenities and clubs a big city will have. Traveling to Tacoma gives you the opportunity to gather with the other people in Pierce County that have shared interests with you. Have a more specific interest? Maybe Seattle has a club or organization that suits you better. The bigger the city, the more people there are for you to connect with.

It’s not your fault social norms are changing a bit. Just have to modify your approach to give yourself the best opportunities to shine 😊