We love sharing your stories about how you made a friend as an adult! Do you want to be featured in our blog? Send your story to feedback@friendmatch.com with the subject line: My Friendship story
My first online friend story started for a very common reason: I had moved, and most of my friends now lived too far away to meet regularly.
At the time, I was in my mid-twenties and running several times a week. I wanted a running partner to help keep me motivated (and to make running alone feel a little safer), but I was having trouble finding someone nearby who was interested in regular runs.
I decided to look online.
Back then, I used a local classifieds website. I noticed that people were constantly posting ads looking for friends, activity partners, and people to share hobbies with. It worked, but it wasn't really designed for friendship. You had to sort through all kinds of unrelated posts and hope you found someone who was a good fit.
Looking back, that experience was one of the reasons I eventually wanted to build FriendMatch. I kept thinking how much easier it would be if there were a place specifically for people looking for friendship, where you could search by age, location, interests, and activities.
Fortunately, my search was successful.
I connected with a woman who was close to my age, lived nearby, and was also looking for a running buddy.
For our first meeting, we chose a public park halfway between our homes. We started with a power walk to warm up while introducing ourselves.
I remember talking about how funny it felt to meet someone online just to go running together. We talked about our goals, our routines, and before long we were off on our run.
The conversation flowed surprisingly easily. One thing I learned is that running is actually a great way to get to know someone. When you're moving, there is no pressure to fill every second with conversation. The occasional silence feels natural.
There were no complicated expectations. We simply agreed to meet a few times each week and run together.
We even gave ourselves "homework" between runs so we could stay on track with our goals. My running consistency was probably the best it had ever been.
Eventually I moved again, and regular meetups became impractical. But the experience taught me something important.
Meeting new friends online doesn't have to be strange or awkward. Sometimes it's simply two people looking for the same thing at the same time.
That first friendship showed me how valuable it can be to create spaces where people can connect with one another. It played a big role in motivating me to continue building FriendMatch and helping others make those same connections.
Now I'd love to hear your story.
Have you ever made a friend online?
How did it go?
If you'd like to share your experience, send me your story at feedback@friendmatch.com with the subject line: My Friend Story.
FriendMatch features selected stories to inspire other people who are thinking about taking that first step and reaching out to a new friend.
