CONTRIBUTED BY JANAE BURGER

The last picture has been hung on the wall, the kids are getting settled into school, you’ve made it to the beach a time or two and you can find your way home without getting too lost, but it still doesn’t quite feel like you “belong” in Okinawa yet. You’re missing that personal connection. You need your “people”, the ones that you call when you wanna shop-till-you-drop, cry to when you are lonely and who remembers your birthday. But all of these friends are in a time zone that just doesn’t jive all that well with you mid-day crisis. This creates a need for what Meredith referred to as a new round of friend dating.

One of my closest friends loves to say, “The military gives me the opportunity to have a dozen best friends from all over the world.” The idea is so nice; the practice of working hard at new friendships to make them meaningful move after move is sometimes daunting. For some (like my friend) it comes naturally, for others (like me) it takes a bit more effort. So where do you look for friends? Maybe you don’t think you know the rules to friend dating. Never fear! We’re here to walk you through. We’ll start with a couple of Making Friends 101 basics.

1.    Meet the neighbors.

2.    Pursue your interests.

3.    Make a welcome place for others.

4.    Newcomers club.

5.    Throw a party.

6.    Join a local community center.

7.    Take a class.

This new “To Mingle” Category will be highlighting all of the above (and more) providing information and suggestions on how you can meet others and start feeling like you belong. And in the meantime, tell us what you think should be included in our “making Friends 101” basics.