Quick intro: I'm in my mid-twenties. I got out of a LTR a couple years ago and been on a self-improvement stint ever since. I got an interesting job that pays decently. I moved out of my parents house and got a nice, clean apartment. I learned to cook. And I went from overweight to average weight. I think I'm decent-looking and can be an interesting person to talk to, but my social life absolutely sucks. So upping my game is the next phase of my self improvement.

Last weekend I went to a bar solo for the first time. It was a well lit place and everybody was huddled in groups. There was no seating at the bar, so I sat at a table alone, had a drink by myself, and left. It felt extremely lame, but I learned something important. Lesson #1: nobody cares if you're out alone.

So I figured I'd try again this weekend. Last night (Friday), I decided to pre-game before my solo bar adventure. I know it's a crutch, but I figured I could use it this time (and it definitely made me less nervous).

I went to a bar early so it wouldn't be too busy, and I used a tactic that I learned on Seddit. I picked a busy spot and owned the seats next to me. Anybody to my left or my right was going to get chatted up, male or female. A couple sat down on my left, and the guy sat with his back to me, totally engrossed in his date - I felt too uncomfortable to talk to him. A couple of dudes sat to my right and I started talking to them, but there was no reciprocation in the convo. The two guys seemed like they wanted to just huddle together. So I left to try somewhere else.

This is where pre-gaming bit me in the ass, and I learned Lesson #2: don't get too drunk. As I was walking out I realized I wasn't feeling too well. Any more food or drinks immediately and I was going to puke, and it wasn't even 10 PM. So I walked it off for a couple miles, and turned into a bar as soon as I was feeling alright.

At this second bar I used the same tactic: anybody who sits down next to me will get chatted up. So a guy sat down to my right and I recognized him... some people from work were out together! It kind of blew my whole plan because I stupidly used them as a crutch, and I barely talked to any strangers the rest of the night.

But I was watching one of my coworkers, a guy who is a total type-A personality. It seemed as though he had zero hesitation in turning and talking to strangers. These strangers really didn't mind and even seemed like they were happy to talk to somebody new. We went to another bar where they got me more drunk. Feeling it too much, I made an excuse at about 1AM and went home. But as I was stumbling back to my place, I thought about Lesson #3: most strangers don't mind being talked to, and if they do, fuck 'em.

edit: grammar