We’ve all been the “new girl” at least once and I think we can agree that it’s not the most fun experience walking into a room full of semi-strangers. But, in the same exhausting moment, we also are craving that connection. It’s such an emotionally challenging season to be in, so we wanted to take a little bit of the stress out of it for you with 5 conversation starters to bring you closer (faster) to your military bestie!
If you’ve been following us you know we encourage others (and each other) to get involved and get involved early. You don’t have to say “yes” to everything, but committing to a few things and putting yourself out there is the best way to get plugged in with your people, doing it while you have the adrenaline of a fresh PCS pumping through your veins is ideal – we know it sounds counterintuitive, but you won’t regret riding that energy wave down the road when your dishwasher floods on your spouse’s first trip out of town and you need help emptying on your kitchen for repairs!
The last thing to add before we get to the conversation starters – remember…the person you’re talking to might not be your people, but you never know who could lead you to your person. Keep your heart open and be honest in your conversation!
5 Conversation Topics to go Deeper at your Next Military Spouse Social
We have a mix of questions that will hopefully show you someone’s heart pretty quickly and “warm-up” questions, both of these serve a great purpose in getting to know someone new.
- How has military life changed you for the better?
- What was the highlight of your day today? OR What was the highlight of your week this week?
- If you had all the time and resources available to you, what would your dream career be?
- Have you ever been to a spouse event like this before?
- Is this your first assignment? Where was your family stationed before?
Although these questions can help you dive deeper into a meaningful relationship quicker, we do want to recognize that sometimes time is the biggest factor at play in finding meaningful friendships. We didn’t meet each other and form a strong friendship bond until almost 1 full year at our first assignment. That wasn’t for a lack of trying! Sometimes, you just have to go through a few different experiences before your heart is ready for the friend you need!
Lastly, if you find yourself struggling to find events to say “yes” to or people to practice these conversation starters with – head over to our Facebook group and create a post with where you’re at and see if there’s a military spouse in your area willing to come over for coffee! Might sound awkward, but we’ll guarantee there’s someone out there waiting for that post as a sign to take action for a new friend.
