How Do I Find Friends/Potential Friends?

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I'm a geek. I enjoy writing books, reading books, watching anime on Netflix, and playing video games. I hate sports, hunting, and being anywhere there's a large crowd. Unfortunately, I live in Arkansas, where the only things people enjoy are hunting, fishing, fourwheeling, watching football, and getting drunk. I don't particularly ENJOY having absolutely nobody to talk to, but I have no idea how to make new friends. I've looked at Meetup.com, but the only groups I'd be interested are way too far away. I've tried posting on Craigslist to see if if anybody wants to hang out, but no luck. And, well, I don't have any friends, so I don't get out much, which means I never have a chance to meet new people in person. Anybody know how I can make new friends?

I'd just be happy with being a geek.

Being a geek today is considered 'hip' and 'cool' and means you have the most mainstream interests of the millenial generation.

It's far better than, say, being someone with far more obscure and rarer interests.

My advice, if possible is to leave and move to a better place.

Many people may suggest being 'optimistic' and making the 'best' of your situation, but sometimes it is meaningless and sometimes if your location is well and truly against you, it's far more easier, practical and better in the long-term to move to a place that suits your individual tastes better; rather than spending several years trying to make the best of where you live when you could find it all in just a few months in a more suitable city.

I too live in a less-than-ideal place.

It is a mix between city and town yet has the benefits of neither and the negatives of both.

It's not quite small enough to be country, but not progressive and modern enough to be city.

It is very paradoxical - it's very conservative, religious and old-fashioned, yet has the worst drivers in the country (proven by actual statistics), one of the highest crime rates in the country (and 1st place for my state), highest rate of STDs, high rates of substance abuse.

It has a high elderly and youth population and middle age (35-55) is one of the smaller demographics.

Weather is terrible, there are no sorts of clubs or groups for anyone, unless you like Gardening, farming, sunday markets, church and parks.

Despite it's high youth population, the traditionalists are in power and this place feels more like a retirement village.

The Arts is non-existant here. No decent theatre, music or visual art or dance scene.

High in racism, homophobia and sexism.

As a young male who enjoys the arts (acting, writing, music production, etc.), likes the beach and coast, enjoys the idea of going to nightclubs and nightlife, etc. a much better place for me would be the Australian coast, which is only about 1 and a half hour drive - so close, yet so far.

Now, why the f*ck should a 1/4th black, bi-curious teenager who likes the arts and beach, living in a small, boring, inland city with nothing to do for teenagers (or young adults, for that matter. There's only a few bars and one single nightclub. The gyms and swimming pools are sub-par), no artistic scene, a city low in singles, a city dominated by conservatism and far-right wing politics (I am left-wing), try to make 'the best' of their situation?

I've gotten this advice too much from N.T.'s.

I'm just glad the aspies here understand and think with logic and reason. The advice I get here on WP has always been I should actually move and/or start attending university.

So, ask yourself: What will trying to 'make the best' of your location actually help you achieve?

Can an African living in a tyrannical dictatorship country with the military and terrorists always raiding his town at least once a week and stealing their food/water, kidnapping vulnerable people and raping the women 'make the best' of his situation?

I'd suggest he just get on the nearest boat out of there...! !!

It's why refugees actually exist - they know they could do better.

I believe you could, too.

I'm in a similar situation.

Although I had a good chance to make friends back when I was in school, I found out about the whole 'Meetups' thing a bit late (shortly after experiencing an unexpected mental health crisis) ... but I did find out that the city where I went to school had a specific Meetup group especially for Introverts.

I used to be an on-and-off member of a few clubs in the past, including a video gaming club and an anime club (both organized by my university) - that's a start, and sometimes you don't even have to be a member of the school to join.

Another idea is checking out your local library for things like book clubs and board game clubs. I recently found out that my local library has a pretty massive board game club that I never even knew about until recently

Wishing you good luck in finding new friends with similar creative interests