How do I make friends considering my circumstances?
I'm 19 (M) and live in a rural town in America with a very small population. I've also been homeschooled my entire life, and as a result I've become incredibly socially awkward since I never grew up interacting with people. I struggle in conversation and I start stressing anytime I talk to someone.
I'm really not sure how to overcome this. I would like to try and get out of my comfort zone and meet people, but there's nothing around me. There are no activities I care about going on in my town, and barely any places for social gathering. No one I've ever met in my town has similar interests as me, not even my own family. Plus most of the population is older than me. Honestly, I'd like to leave and move somewhere else, but I am in no position to do that for the foreseeable future. So what exactly do I do?
I used to be comfortable with feeling alone, but I'm almost 20 and now it's really starting to hit me that I missed out on so much life experience by not having friends when I was younger. It's been causing me a lot of pain feeling so alone lately. I just feel like I'm missing out on life itself, during some of the most formative and carefree years of my life. That's why I want to make friends and overcome my social anxiety, but I really don't even know where to begin. Any advice?