February is notoriously thought of as the month of love. While we are definitely celebrating love over here at FS and The Get Together, we're focusing less on the romantic/lovey-dovey kind of love, and more on the friendship kind. We especially want to celebrate new friendships this month! That's why we reached out to our friends at Bumble to chat with one of their (many) Bumble BFF success stories. Read below to hear from Gaby Diemeke about how she met her new bestie Alexandra Voelkers through Bumble BFF 💛
Tell us about your Bumble BFF experience! What made you want to try it out? How did it go for you?
I first heard about Bumble BFF at a music festival because Bumble had a super cute activation there that was a meeting place for friends. When I moved to a new city, I downloaded the app and gave it a try, and it was super fun making a profile with all my interests and adding photos. I matched with my friend Alex and she came over for my birthday party, and we realized we had a ton of things in common. We both fit into each other’s friend group perfectly, and our boyfriends also became good friends, so it’s been really fun!
Starting a new friendship post college and outside of work can sometimes feel forced and scary. What is one word of encouragement to keep people open minded?
I think that a lot of times folks focus on meeting new people for dating, but sometimes we forget we have to put ourselves out there to make new friends, too! That was the case for me when I moved to Austin and didn’t know anyone, and Bumble BFF was a huge help with that. I’d say to take the risk and put yourself out there, because you might just make a new best friend!
Any tips for how to get past that superficial level of friendship and get into a deeper level of connection?
For me, it was helpful to find things you have in common with others so you can bring it to a deeper level. Things like your interests, food preferences, hobbies, where you like to travel, and how you spend your free time can all be areas that you can connect on.
How have you (and your Bumble BFF) grown your community since discovering new friendships?
It all builds together. Sometimes I will meet someone and then the next time I see them they will bring their other friends and the group just grows bigger and bigger. I love the sense of community that you can build.
What are your go-to, stress-free activities that you like to do with new friends?
My favorite go-to activities are putting together a picnic in the park, grabbing a happy hour drink around Austin, trying a new food truck spot or yoga class, going for a walk, grabbing coffee or having a game night at my apartment.
Feeling inspired to branch out and form a new friendship?? Download Bumble BFF here!