I spent 7 years working 2.5 hours away from home, spending half of every week at work or in an apartment near work. I went to lunch quite often with coworkers,

I spent 7 years working 2.5 hours away from home, spending half of every week at work or in an apartment near work. I went to lunch quite often with coworkers, or we would go for a few drinks after work. I didn't realize it, but my circle of friends were all in Virginia, while my family was in PA (including my fiancee, now wife, and later my son when he was born). Two years ago, I took a job that let me work from home. And it's pretty awesome. I have my office in a detached building from the house, all my colleagues are also remote, so I don't have that disconnect where everyone else is planning things in person and I'm catching up later. I get to spend more time with my family. The downside is that I've been realizing that I don't have much in the way of friends locally. None of my coworker friends, past or present live near me. I have some friends in my radio club, but most of them are over twice my age and retired. I don't know how to make new friends. The way I made friends when I was younger was through people I worked with, people at college, and then people they knew. I don't think I ever hung out at a bar and made a friend that way, I don't think that would work today. My situation may be atypical, but I could imagine others in such situations. Lots of people commute to work and would jump at an opportunity to work remotely. Some people will move "out of the city" when they get a remote job.