I’m convinced that there’s no shame in asking for help when you need it, so I’ll be direct. I’m going through a hard time. I don’t need to unload all that baggage on you, nor do I want to. Just hear me out.

I’ve gotta get out of the house. Unfortunately, I’ve sank too much of myself into other facets of my life over the last several years and forgot to take care of myself as an individual. Because of that, I’m a little short on friends and hobbies to keep me occupied when I need them. This is where you, hopefully, come in.

I started planning an easy, impromptu hike in Millcreek canyon for tomorrow morning, but I don’t particularly want to go alone, so I’m putting this offer out there. You’re welcome to join me, and I’d like it if you did. We don’t need to talk (though we certainly can), and we can wear masks. I just think it would help me feel better to be in the presence of another human.

While a lasting friendship would be nice, that’s not really what I’m looking for here. Just want someone to walk up a hill with. It sounds silly, but it really is just that simple. No commitments, no obligations, no expectations.

If it matters to you, I’m 31, male, and married.

EDIT: Most of this came from a comment, but it’s pretty relevant, so it’s going here as well. While I started this post just looking for “someone to walk up a hill with,” it seems that there’s a lot of us who feel, at least to some degree, a little bit lonely these days and are struggling to form and maintain friendships now that we’re beyond our childhood years. I’m getting a lot more of a response to this post than I had anticipated, which is awesome, but it’s also a little overwhelming. (I mean so far it’s only like a dozen people, but for someone who has existed for years with only a small handful of friends and acquaintances, it feels like a lot.)

I’d like to meet each and every one of you, but I don’t know that I have the mental bandwidth to take it all on right now. That said, if you DM me, I’ll make every attempt to set something up with you in the near future. Should I fail to respond for a while, please, don’t take it personally and don’t be afraid to message me again. I am doing my best.

Unrelated, but also worth mentioning, there’s probably a few of us who won’t click terrifically well, but there’s no shame in that. Let’s give it a shot and just see how it goes. After all, how can we know unless we try?

EDIT 2: I live in Saratoga Springs, but I don’t generally mind driving, hence hiking Millcreek.