Thank you guys for all the wonderful tips.

I once had a neighbor (in a different state, where I used to live) who was a leader of some meetin and meetup groups. He did the cheap eats, potlucks in the park (mostly involving bbq of some sort - yum), and occasionally art and meals (where a visit to an art museum would be followed by a cheap eat somewhere). Some of those events took hours, but anyone could decide to leave early and/or show up late. I miss the ones where everyone got together to watch a favorite current television show, which only took about 1.5 hours out of your time (introductions, snacks, possibly pizza or potluck, and the hour it took to watch the show).

Living in a new place is challenging for me, but I really wanted a fresh start.

So far, I have went out with a neighbor (who actually happens to be a licensed therapist) to dinner (about a 1.5 to 2 hour visit), visited a local college I plan to enroll in by next year for grad school, went to the mall by myself (and sat down periodically), and socialized for a few minutes with neighbors who smoke like me (this latter suggestion is NOT healthy, so it's going to be a challenge to remove that from my social habits).

I love the idea of inviting people over for coffee or art, though I'd prefer to meet outdoors for that, or in someone else's home. It's so hard for me to clean up after everyone, and I'm persnickety about my methods of cleaning. --Yes, this is a flaw of mine. I do feel comfortable with having one or two guests over at a time, so that works well.

I don't know many board games, and I fear that if a board game lasts for hours then I won't have the freedom to just leave when I need to (whether due to pain or social anxiety or both). The only time I'd feel comfortable with a board game would be if I were staying the night at a trusted friend's house, but even then, I prefer watching movies or YouTube videos.

Typically, I just stay at home alone and watch movies by myself, go online to check email, check FB, and now check PC. I am still in the process of cleaning and organizing my new apartment, while trying to get a routine down, so it will take me a while to get acclimated.

For those who are housebound, I can see how inviting people over (and possibly hiring volunteers or helpers to prep beforehand and clean up afterward) would be the best option for human connection.

Occasionally, there are those who are able to find vacation spots that are friendly and accommodating for those with mobility issues. I'm thinking beaches, parks, poolside tans, a unique hotel with nearby attractions that would only take an hour or less. That gets expensive, but a supportive group would really help those with mobility issues.

My chronic fatigue was so bad about 15 years ago that I had to ask for assistance multiple times to take a nap in the hotel room we had near Disneyland (in California). It was my friend's son's birthday, and it was just the four of us - my friend and her son, me, and the grandma of my friend's son (my friend's mom). I felt bad, but even earlier in my life, CFS really got to me. They all thought it was MDD, but it was CFS. It's hard to be at an outing like that with CFS or any mobility issue. The heat got to me, and a wheelchair for me wasn't an option. I also needed some peace, quiet, cool, and dark for at least a few hours. It took me about a week to recuperate from that event. I love my friends, and I used to have all the energy in the world for amusement parks, but my life changed from my strange military disabilities.

All that to say, there needs to be a backup plan when making plans that are far away from home.