Why is it so hard for me to make friends?

[sadtimes]

I have moved to Spain to teach English and I'm not gonna lie, I'm so lonely here. The program that I'm doing is pretty much for complete extroverts. I would say that I'm an introvert who doesn't really like being by myself.
I love having friends, but I find it so difficult to make them. I hate the process of going from strangers to friends, for me it's such a long road of awkwardness and shyness, and feeling uncomfortable. For some people, it's straight away and they are friends but not for me and I hate that bit in between.

It prevents me from actually trying to meet people. I'll try and set something up and in the moment it seems like a great idea, but the days leading up to meeting people are just complete dread for how awkward I know it's going to be (and it will be, I am extremely awkward).
I've also found it really hard to connect with people here. I have a completely different sense of humor to a lot of people I've met (I have quite a british 'banter' sense of humor, that helps me make friends back in the UK, but not here).

I don't know what I can do. I hate being here all lonely and not making the most of my time here (there is so much I want to do like hiking, parasailing, museums etc that I just don't wanna do by myself) but I find the process of making friends cripplingly uncomfortable.

[Bigboyuk]

Hi I will reply to this as I am surprized no one else has. Iam like you have so many hobbies/interests but no one to share them so I do understand I guess you have to keep working at it it's a hard slog but you have to keep going Good Luck ATB

[nikkinik]

I have moved to Spain to teach English and I'm not gonna lie, I'm so lonely here. The program that I'm doing is pretty much for complete extroverts. I would say that I'm an introvert who doesn't really like being by myself.
I love having friends, but I find it so difficult to make them. I hate the process of going from strangers to friends, for me it's such a long road of awkwardness and shyness, and feeling uncomfortable. For some people, it's straight away and they are friends but not for me and I hate that bit in between.

It prevents me from actually trying to meet people. I'll try and set something up and in the moment it seems like a great idea, but the days leading up to meeting people are just complete dread for how awkward I know it's going to be (and it will be, I am extremely awkward).
I've also found it really hard to connect with people here. I have a completely different sense of humor to a lot of people I've met (I have quite a british 'banter' sense of humor, that helps me make friends back in the UK, but not here).

I don't know what I can do. I hate being here all lonely and not making the most of my time here (there is so much I want to do like hiking, parasailing, museums etc that I just don't wanna do by myself) but I find the process of making friends cripplingly uncomfortable.

I feel exactly the same way you do.

Plus:
1)I'm not a funny person, I find I'm a bit boring lol So that's a plus for you
2)I've got memory issues and that makes for a lot of stumbling and pausing whilst I try and pick the right word out of the black hole in my brain.. Awkward or what!
3) I never ever know what to say to people and they usually tire of me quickly...
4)I'm just painfully awkward and uncomfortable in my own skin!

..none of which help my situation. But you seem to have much more going for you

There must be some sort of website for meeting up. Someone on here mentioned Meetups.. Not sure if that's just a Uk site, but there have to be others around the world I'm sure. Is that a start?

For what it's worth you sound like you'd be a great person to chat with, you perhaps just need to push yourself and get more experience with people in your new surroundings.. Don't be too hard on yourself, I think it's a case of getting used to a new place and people in it, as apposed to yourself being to blame.. Ie you've made friends in the Uk, somewhere else shouldn't be a problem, rather than a little adjustment instead