This is a real friendship story about four Gofrendly members who each started out nervous — and ended up building a real girl gang together. Here’s how it happened, in their own words.
How It Started
“I’ve always been drawn to the excitement of moving to new countries and cities. However, with every move, you’re faced with starting over,” Emma says. “I remember stumbling upon Gofrendly one evening in my new apartment, creating a profile, and nervously reaching out to girls I had never met. It was a bit intimidating!” Her first friend date made her nervous too — but it was also loads of fun. It wasn’t until she met Hanna that she realized it could be more than just someone to have brunch with now and then. “There was something truly magical about how we shared our dreams and realized how perfectly we clicked.”
Ottilia found her way in differently. “I decided to attend a barbecue party organized by 20 wonderful girls from Gofrendly, and it was amazing!” she says. “My goal that night was to chat with all of them.” As the evening went on, people drifted off in different directions until a small group remained, chatting until 2 in the morning and making plans. That’s how a handful of strangers turned into future best friends.
“There was something truly magical about how we shared our dreams and realized how perfectly we clicked.”
— Emma
Building the Group
Linda joined after moving back to her home country following years abroad. “I met a couple of girls with whom I instantly clicked, even though I had my doubts about making connections in this context,” she says. Two weeks later, the group was celebrating Midsummer together — and regular get-togethers followed. “Every time we meet, I’m reminded of how wonderful it is that we’re all so different yet work so well together.” It’s not the only real friendship story that started with just one connection and grew from there.
Hanna, for her part, wasn’t even nervous. “I’m naturally open and can strike up conversations easily, so I don’t remember feeling nervous or experiencing any awkward moments,” she says. “It was more exciting than anything else.” What none of them expected was how big a part of their lives these Gofrendly friendships would become. “Thanks to them, I feel right at home here in my new city.”
Four separate, slightly nervous first steps turned into one lasting group — which tracks with something the research on friendship actually backs up.
81%of people with five or more close friends say they are completely or very satisfied with their friendships, compared with 65% of those with one to four. Emma, Ottilia, Linda and Hanna went from nervous first meetups separately to a whole friend group together — exactly the kind of expansion linked to higher satisfaction.
Source: Pew Research Center, “How many close friends do Americans have?” (2023)
What This Girl Gang Can Teach You
- Nervous is normal. Every single one of them describes some version of feeling intimidated or unsure at the start — and every one of them is glad they went anyway.
- Group friendships often start small. A barbecue, a single friend date, one nervous message — the group didn’t form all at once.
- Different personalities can still click. Emma, Ottilia, Linda, and Hanna each describe themselves differently, but it’s exactly that mix that makes the group work.
Common Questions About This Real Friendship Story
How did Emma, Ottilia, Linda, and Hanna’s friend group form?
They each joined Gofrendly separately, met individually through the app, and their overlapping friendships grew into one shared group over time.
Is it normal to feel nervous about meeting new people through a friendship app?
Yes — most of the women in this story describe some version of nervousness before their first meetups, and it didn’t stop any of them from building lasting friendships.
What’s the best way to build a friend group, not just one friendship?
Start with one connection at a time, the way this group did — a single friend date or a group event can grow into something much bigger. If you’re starting from zero, finding a girl gang as an adult walks through exactly how.
Can I share my own Gofrendly friendship story?
We’d love to hear it. Share your friendship story through our form.
Ready to find your own girl gang?
Join the women finding real connections on Gofrendly — sometimes one nervous first message is all it takes to build a whole group.
