For most of my life I've struggled with making friends and having close relationships. I'm much more extroverted and comfortable talking to strangers now, but I'm trying to go out to events by myself to meet people and most people seem to be in groups, so talking to strangers would require walking up to a whole group of people, which seems way harder and weirder?
I've also been told multiple times that people found me intimidating when first meeting me, which seems strange because I'm a very warm, goofy person in general. Maybe because I'm comfortable being alone in a public setting or something? How are you engaging in casual convo and then turning it into real friendships?