Hey tbhalii,
Thanks for sharing with us and I hope that here you will feel part of a big, friendly, and supportive community.
It sounds like you're living a pretty lonely existence and it shows a lot of strength that you were willing to open up and reach out for some advice. Its a very mature approach.
May I ask how old you are? I'm making an assumption that you're a teenager. May I also ask where the bullying stems from? (As you mentioned being home schooled and not getting out much). Bullying at any age is inappropriate so you've done an incredible job to get to this point. Have you been able to talk with your parents or your friend about this?
In terms of how to make friends, theres nothing in particular that you should need to do, just being yourself, and showing interest should be enough. Having said that, in terms of where you can meet people I have a few suggestions but im also going to say however you choose to go about connecting with others just make sure its in a safe space.
Have you/are you able to try any of the following?
Looking into programs offered by a local community centre
Joining a group at the YMCA
Joining a book club
Researching some extra curricular activities nearby (sports, art, language learning , music etc)
Joining a youth group at a local church
Getting a part time job/doing some volunteer work
There are also a number of online communities that you could participate in, even if just to build your self confidence to begin with. Beyondblue has a youth blue voices online forum that you can join by clicking on the bluvoices link on their website. Girl Guides Australia could be another option.
I'm going to finish by saying that boys and girls behave differently in their teenage years because of all the hormones running through their system. No offence against males but they tend to be pretty immature at this point in their lives and often say things that aren't always accurate just to make them feel good about themselves, and to fit in with their group of mates.
Hope to hear from you again.
AGrace
