I feel like I lost a lot of social connections

[tkcartoonist]

So I've been living in this town since August, and I have found that even though it's a college town, there is next to nothing to do here. All the friends that I keep in contact with live over an hour away from me, and I'm not able to drive right now otherwise I would have gone to see one of them by now.

Winter has made the transportation situation even worse, since I still have a couple of things I want to pick up from my ma's house but she has not been feeling well enough nor has the weather been decent enough for her to come here and pick me up. Before anyone asks: Uber or Lyft isn't an option since it costs a mint for a ride that far.

I volunteered as a bellringer for Salvation Army last December mostly because it was something to do, but I have not found any other in-person volunteer opportunities in the area since then, and I hate virtual stuff. I have gone to a couple of karaoke events up at the nearby college, and even though I do have a lot of fun doing that, it feels awkward every time for two reasons: I'm considerably older than most of the people there (I just turned 35 last November), and I am not a student there (I contacted the people that run those events shortly before I went to my first one, and they said it was fine for me to participate but I still feel weird).

On top of everything else, I stopped hearing from one of my best friends last November, and I don't know why. I have tried contacting her and I've had a couple of my other friends try to let her know that I've been trying to get a hold of her, but to no avail. I pretty much started burying myself into my music and art at home this winter, but now with my latest Buskers album done and some other projects I'm working on currently on hold, I'm really starting to feel the effects of how lonely I've gotten.

I didn't know where else to post this. I guess I needed to get some things off my chest.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Sorry to hear about your unwanted isolation. I sincerely hope that you will connect with your mother and friends soon. Winter can be so harsh.

 

[Thinx]

This sounds very difficult for you. A new town and nothing much to do socially due to Covid I guess. I think January and February are the slowest times of year too. But we are a week in to February now, so time's passing.

Can the salvation army offer you any ideas, for volunteering maybe? Do they need anyone to help with their projects? Or a food bank or kitchen? You sound like you could help motivate others. I hope things improve very soon. At least you have us on the forums cheering you on.

 

[tkcartoonist]

Can the salvation army offer you any ideas, for volunteering maybe? Do they need anyone to help with their projects? Or a food bank or kitchen? You sound like you could help motivate others. I hope things improve very soon. At least you have us on the forums cheering you on.

I don't think the Salvation Army has a physical location in Whitewater (I think the one that serves this area is in either Fort Atkinson or Janesville, and both are at least a 30-minute drive from here). I've been going to a counseling center based at the university nearby (it's run by grad students working toward their degree in counseling), and the guy I've been talking with mentioned that there are a few clubs on the campus that you don't have to be a student to take part in. I'm hoping one of them is the radio station, as I would love to DJ again. I haven't done that since the days I was in college, and I'd get to be around others who are into music at any rate.