> But interest and anxiety have gotten the better of me when it comes to meeting strangers, so I'm at a loss.

Getting involved in my community doing different kinds of volunteer work as well as activities I find fun has been the best way to get to know strangers and make new friends. It's easy to make a new friend when the two of you share a couple of passions!

Putting anxieties aside and being more outgoing and having enjoyable small-talk conversations was not a skill that came naturally to me, but rather was one that needed to be developed over time.

It's a skill and the I think the benefits of it are well worth the effort to develop it.