Fishingmn
Full time employment: Posting here.
Like Music Lover we have quite a few friends and family here in cold MN and wouldn't consider moving unless both kids did so as well. We also have taken to doing a 45 day getaway in the winter. We have family and friends that travel to our vacation rental.
I don't really have any friends from high school but luckily joined a business fraternity in college and have many close friendships from that group 37 years ago. I have 5-6 guys who I see at least monthly (or more) and another set who I see semi-regularly as well. We are lucky that almost all of our core group has stayed here (and stayed married as they are "couple" friends).
Like many here I'm an introvert but that makes me work even harder to maintain these friendships. I find that many people aren't good at reaching out but are very happy to communicate and do things together if I take the initiative. Instead of getting upset that I always have to be the one to initiate I make a point of being proactive. I also text my friends on a regular basis to stay connected. Often about mutual sports team interests but it can also just be a random picture of something or to check in about an issue going on in their lives.
DW has many of these same friends but also a group of 5 ex coworker friends that she engages with regularly. She does 3-4 yearly weekend trips with them. I have 2-3 yearly weekend trips away as well so it evens out.
Luckily, we did well at saving as our dining, entertainment and travel budgets are much higher than they would be with a small friends group.
I don't really have any friends from high school but luckily joined a business fraternity in college and have many close friendships from that group 37 years ago. I have 5-6 guys who I see at least monthly (or more) and another set who I see semi-regularly as well. We are lucky that almost all of our core group has stayed here (and stayed married as they are "couple" friends).
Like many here I'm an introvert but that makes me work even harder to maintain these friendships. I find that many people aren't good at reaching out but are very happy to communicate and do things together if I take the initiative. Instead of getting upset that I always have to be the one to initiate I make a point of being proactive. I also text my friends on a regular basis to stay connected. Often about mutual sports team interests but it can also just be a random picture of something or to check in about an issue going on in their lives.
DW has many of these same friends but also a group of 5 ex coworker friends that she engages with regularly. She does 3-4 yearly weekend trips with them. I have 2-3 yearly weekend trips away as well so it evens out.
Luckily, we did well at saving as our dining, entertainment and travel budgets are much higher than they would be with a small friends group.