how to re-connect?

Robb and I have been working in the arts, and particularly in theater for quite a number if years. It is a rewarding field, but in some ways, it is a bit like migrant labor. We go where the jobs are. Robb and I met in Maryland, and over the years either one of both of us have lived in Alabama, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Connecticut, and now California. Robb has also toured extensively as an actor, performing in Scotland, the Netherlands, and most of the United States.

We have lots of practice in packing up all our possessions and moving to a city where we know nobody at all. We also have gotten quite good at living apart from one another. When I ran the paint shop for the Glimmerglass Opera, I would spend three months living in rural New York State, and would only see Robb occasionally.

Amazingly, this has never put a great strain on our relationship. We both seem to relish the challenges of life in a new place, and new adventures.

But our here-today-and-gone-tomorrow lifestyle has made it difficult to make and maintain friendships.

When Robb was in the hospital, we had loads of visitors, but when he came home, this dropped off. This was partly due to the fact that the theater schedule can be a very hectic one, and probably partly due to the fact that people didn't want to intrude on our lives. I haven't exactly been inviting a lot of people over, either.

For so long, I found myself saying no to social activities, because I'm not sure that Robb could handle it, and, now that we are more able to participate in social activities, I'm not sure how to re-invent a social life. Robb and I are both big personalities, but ultimately shy people. And when we first got to California, we were so busy exploring that we sort of forgot to establish a circle of friends.

So what's a girl to do?