How to Make Friends as an Adult When You Feel Like You Don't Belong

How do you make friends as an adult when your life no longer looks the way it used to?

Maybe you've moved to a new city. Maybe you've gone through a divorce, left a long career, or simply realized that the people and routines that once made life feel familiar no longer fit. Whatever the reason, rebuilding a sense of connection can be one of the most challenging parts of starting over.

On this episode of The Holly Hughes Podcast, I sit down with author and connection expert Shari Leid, founder of the Flip the Box movement, for a deeply honest conversation about belonging, friendship, identity, and reinvention.

Shari's own story makes the subject impossible to ignore. She was found as an infant in a cardboard box in Seoul, South Korea, with no name, birth date, or family record. That extraordinary beginning shaped a lifelong exploration of what it means to belong—and eventually became the foundation for her work helping others create meaningful connection.

But this isn't just a conversation about Shari's past. It's about what happens when you have to begin again.

After leaving a 27-year marriage and moving to Dallas without knowing anyone, Shari had to rebuild her community from the ground up. She shares practical advice for meeting people, including the exact opening line she uses with strangers and why eye contact and “heart forward” body language can matter more than having perfect small talk.

We also talk about redefining friendship, why relationships are allowed to ebb and flow, and the powerful question a mentor once asked Shari: “Do you realize you're enough?”

That question may be at the heart of reinvention itself. Starting over isn't always about becoming someone new. Sometimes it's about finally believing that who you are is enough to begin.

If you're navigating burnout, divorce, a move, midlife reinvention, or simply longing for a deeper sense of belonging, this episode is a reminder that connection is still possible—at any age.

Sometimes, rebuilding your life begins with something as simple as looking up, making eye contact, and saying hello.