Moved to Seattle last year and still struggling to build a social circle here

I’m a UW grad student, and most of my social life is still just classmates. Outside of school, I feel like I haven’t really figured out how people here make friends. I live alone in a studio, and with the long holiday weekend coming up, I’m realizing I’ve been feeling more isolated than I expected. I think I’m noticing it more now because I was in a relationship before, and back then I didn’t really feel it as strongly. When you naturally have one person to spend most of your time with, it’s easy not to realize how small your local social circle actually is. After we broke up, I started noticing that most of my connections here were still tied to school.

I’ve heard all the “Seattle Freeze” conversations before, but I’m also wondering if what I’m looking for is something different. I’m not really trying to force myself into networking-style friendships or go to events just for the sake of meeting people. Some of the friendships that felt most natural to me happened through things like working together at my dining hall job on campus. You see the same people over and over, things happen naturally, and somehow you become close without trying too hard.

The thing is, I’m not someone who just stays home either. I go to the gym almost every day, do Pilates, and go hiking on weekends. At this point I’ve become comfortable enough with being alone that I’ll even go hiking by myself sometimes (which honestly feels a little funny when you’re standing on a trail thinking… am I really out here solo again? 😂 Also… does anyone need a hiking buddy?)

Maybe this is also why long weekends hit a little differently. Sometimes when I’m out, it feels like everyone is with someone. Couples, friend groups, people already having plans. I know that’s probably not reality and I’m only noticing what stands out, but somehow being alone can feel more noticeable in those moments.

Now that I’m older, I feel like I can still meet people, but it’s harder to get past the “friendly acquaintance” stage and get to the point where you can actually talk about deeper things.

For people who moved to Seattle without already having a network here, what actually worked for you? Not necessarily meeting people, but building real friendships organically.