talk to people you don't know

I have this tendency to stick in my social groups when I'm out in the world. Makes sense right? I love my friends, I am comfortable with my friends.

but if you stick with who you know all the time, you lose the opportunity to meet people you don't. So strike up a conversation! They don't even need to be someone you are romantically interested in. Just start talking and see what happens.

If you feel awkward and don't know what to talk about, here are my go tos:

• asking someone about the logo on their shirt/hat/bag (the main reason to wear random merch while you're out and about)

• asking people how they found out about the event

• asking their opinion on a question you're facing (like if they have dinner recs or tips for meeting people)

• complimenting someone on something about themselves

• sports merch - talk about the upcoming season and ask how they're feeling (main reason to keep up with your local NFL / NBA / MLB / college teams tbh)

yes, you might hit a dud. someone might look at you awkwardly. but once you dig in, you'll find most people love this.