With this recent move to Indianapolis where I live in an apartment complex full of young adults, my roommate and I have set a goal to become friends with new people. In the last month I would say we’ve made friends with a handful or two of new people, so it feels like we are on a good track. I admit the piece of advice I’m about to offer may be a little unconventional, but here it goes… I have learned there are two things one needs to have on hand in their new abode to assist in the quest for finding friends: cold beer in the fridge and the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies in the pantry.

I’ll give you some context of the story behind this all. My roommate and I ordered a great dining room table online. I thought the table would be delivered to my door, but while I was at work it ended up in the mail room of our complex.  We were confident we would be able to move it, until we realized that moving a 150 pound box up three flights of stairs required some serious strength. The apartment complex workers thought we were crazy, literally crazy, so they called in a friend. Plus, another resident saw us struggling and asked to help.

The four of us took out all the parts from the box to make the move easier. Imagine portions of dining room chairs scattered across the floor of the mailroom, cardboard laying everywhere, and residents walking in wondering what the heck is happening. After it was all out of the box, we proceeded to carry the parts up the three flights of stairs into our apartment. We felt the biggest relief finally getting the table upstairs, but then the mini-panic hit me. We had nothing to offer our generous helpers!

That’s when I realized it was essential to have these two items ready for the potential of new friends. After the move, I could have offered our neighbors a cold beverages as a thank you or pulled out homemade chocolate chip cookies from the freezer as an alternative. Even if you don’t end up needing these items as payment for moving heavy furniture, it’s always beneficial to have them ready so you don’t feel empty-handed when guests spontaneously arrive.

Here are my takeaways from this experience: When ordering furniture online, make sure to scope out the delivery specifics. If you’re going to move big furniture by yourself, you may have to make a fool of yourself first and then ask people for help. When those kind people do help you out, treat them to something you would hope for if the roles were reversed.

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela