Hi Shy Introvert I can relate to pretty much everything you say in this post. I've had similar experiences with meetup groups. At one meetup with a group of moms and their kids at a roller rink i hovered by the group for a while but no one acknowledged me at all and i didn't even make the effort to introduce myself, i just decided to skate with my 2 year old for a while and then we left, never having connected with the group. my whole life has felt like a botched social experiment. i can still hear my mom's voice in my head telling me to call so and so to invite them over and not wanting to do it. and i've always been the initiator. it seems so much easier getting to know people online but i know it's not the same.