Thanks so much for all the responses. It has been very comforting for me to hear that I am not the only one who struggles with this. I appreciate all of the strategies you guys/gals shared to make friends in real life, too. Most of all, it is nice to know that i have friends here. That certainly put a smile back on my face and I was having a very rough couple of days. I am going to try to dial down the awkward and dial up the open-to-people. ((hugs))