New City Moves And The Struggle To Find Friends

So I recently moved to this amazing new city, and honestly, the move was like a breath of fresh air for me. New place, new job, totally different vibe from where I used to live. But here’s the thing: despite feeling super excited about all of it, making friends has been... well, let's just say it hasn't gone as smoothly as my Pinterest dream board predicted. I joined a couple of local groups online and went to an event two weekends ago that was supposed to be like, ‘the’ place for meeting new people. I had this vision in my head of hitting the ground running and making friends faster than I can say “hello.” Instead, I ended up standing awkwardly by a wall, holding onto my drink as if it were my lifeline. I tried introducing myself to several folks but quickly realized my small talk skills are about as useful as a map in the Sahara Desert. I’m pretty sure one of them asked me what book I was reading (which is totally cool), and all that came out of my mouth was an awkward silence followed by, “Uh... The Hunger Games.” Cringe-worthy moment number one. Then there’s been this weird thing where I think people can tell how desperate I am to make friends. Like, they’ve just kind of walked away after a few minutes of talking with me. It feels like every conversation ends in disappointment for me. I know it’s probably just nerves and shyness getting the better of me, but this whole experience is really taking its toll on my confidence. I mean, who knew making friends could be so daunting? Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say here is that even though everyone says moving somewhere new can be exciting and full of opportunities for growth, sometimes it’s just plain hard. It’s okay if you’re not the social butterfly you thought you’d be in this new city setting. So yeah, any tips or advice from anyone else who’s been there? But really, I’m mostly just posting to get all this off my chest because being in a big transition like this is exhausting.