When I moved to Paris, I struggled to find spaces that felt right: thoughtful, welcoming, alcohol-free, and centred around genuine conversation. So I created one. What began around a café table became a powerful lesson in what helps people truly feel they belong.

You don’t need to “be more outgoing.”
You need to be in the right contexts, consistently.

The question isn’t:
“How do I meet more people?”

It’s:
“Where can I be more myself and who can meet me there?”

In your 30s and 40s, making friends often feels harder than it “should” be.

There are real reasons for that.

Building a social life isn’t about getting it right once.
It’s about staying in the process long enough for the right connections to form.