It's interesting because I have had just the opposite situation in my life. I finally left my husband after 33 years & no friends & moved 2100 miles away to where I knew NO ONE. My depression starting in 1994 when I lost my career & what social life I had there playing racquettball with the guys at lunch & some of the activities we had at work....but those people were just acquaintances.....not friends & no where I was did I really have REAL friends.

So I move to where I knew NO ONE & I have met the most wonderful people & have more different groups of friends, both in my church, in a wonderful Bible Study that I go to in another little town, & several different riding groups that I am involved with. I have several close friends. We call each other to see if the other is ok & we support & help each other whenever they need it.

Not being used to having friends & people saying they will be glad to help but never put action to their words has been quite a shock to have wonderful neighbors & friends who are there to help & I am there to help them. I really love living alone, but I also really appreciate the wonderful friends who I can call to check on how they are & they do the same for me. One huge surprise was just after I fractured my back this year & could't use my lawn tractor to mow. I came home after visiting a friend & wow, my lawn was mowed. Several of my other friends mentioned what my lawn fairy looked like, so I ended up knowing which friend was so wonderfully kind. Have helped my friends clean up getting into their new homes & move, also I'm good at all the electronic stuff, so end up helping with all the technical things that need hooked up......& hauling horses when they need to get them someplace. I am the internet interface for one of our riding groups & keep everyone up to date on things that are happening.

I was so surprised at how life turned out when I moved so far away & where I didn't know anyone. It was almost like getting a fresh start on life.....a chance to write it as a new book. I had no preconceived ideas but I was just there & others were just there & we just connected.

It was strange because it was almost a 100% change in my life.....but I am also happier. There just wasn't anyone that I could relate to where I lived before & I was so caught in all the bad things that happened & the bad life & anger I was feeling.....until I could let go & leave it, there was no way to change the way my life was going or the people who were in it. I do love the fresh start. They say that even when you move, you can't leave your past behind, but I think is some sense, you can. I still get triggers from the trauma I went through & triggers that bring up memories of the anger I felt for my husband, but they are NO LONGER PART OF MY EVERYDAY LIFE, so I am not living them every day, only when a trigger hits.

I think maybe you just haven't found people who have the same interests as you. I can guarantee, I would never be interested in finding another person to get married to.....having good friends is 100% better than having a bad husband any day & I really have NO DESIRE to have a husband. My doggies give me all the unconditional love daily that I could ever want & my friends are always there to do fun things with.....sometimes I have to take time for myself to get work done around my house rather than having so much fun with my friends.....but even that is a good feeling.

Maybe you just aren't involved in activities where there are other people with the same interests because that is one binding aspect that I have noticed has made a huge difference in having friends vs. not.

I grew up as an only child & knew how to entertain myself without needing anyone, so friends weren't a necessity in my life.....but it's nice to have others who care & to care about when I compare both possibilities.