I am 24 (F) and feel like I have few close friends. I am in grad school in a technical field and spend much of my time working on research. My advisor wants me to do quite a bit, but I also enjoy what I do and am motivated by my work, so a lot of my time gets sucked into that. I have a boyfriend who is my best friend and whom I love to spend time with (he is also in grad school), but recently I've been really feeling the lack of friendships in my life. My other best friend lives far away so I don't get to see her at all. I have some friends scattered here and there, as well as acquaintances and classmates and such, but few people I would consider myself close to.
I don't have a lot of time (or money) to spend going out, but I have been trying to attend Meetup events and tried to socialize whenever I can. I am frustrated because I'm having a hard time making lasting connections with people in my age group. I don't find it difficult to meet or talk to new people, but I don't seem to find people whom I connect well with, where the friendship continues to grow. I have also found that many girls I've met tend to be superficial and only interested in talking about mundane stuff that I don't care much for. Maybe I'm too picky, but I like to engage in meaningful discussions and have a genuine conversation with someone. I find myself feeling very lonely sometimes...
I wonder if there are other people here who feel the same way, and if people have any advice for someone like me who wants to have more friends in her life. I'm curious to hear other people's thoughts on this.