I Spent a Week Making New Friends Exclusively Through Bunz Trading Zone

Think about the friends you currently have. Now think about how you met them. Likely, it was through work, school, or mutual friends. As children, making friends is easy: Two girls like the same colour and boom, they're BFFs. But as adults, it gets infinitely harder. First of all, we tend to be much pickier about the kind of people we befriend. Then there's the fact that adults are generally busier with jobs, relationships and families. Making friends as an adult sucks because if you're not already part of institutions or clubs with other people like you, you're often shit out of luck in finding new friends.

I've personally been lucky because I go to university and have worked in some very social environments, so I've managed to build a solid social circle in the city. But that's not the reality for many others, so just like in the dating world, people have taken to the internet to recruit new platonic pals. And dating apps like Bumble and OkCupid have caught on to the friending demand, offering a no-hook ups option to users.

Recently, I came across a Facebook group called Bunz Friending Zone. It's an offshoot of the trading group Bunz built solely for meeting new people.

Bunz is huge in Toronto, which was founded in 2013 by Emily Bitze.

"I think it's amazing," Bitze told VICE. "I feel like the reason why Bunz is so special is because people want to connect with others outside of their regular niche groups. We spend so much time on the internet, like Instagram, Facebook, and you're not really getting a real human interaction. And I think that people really needed that."

Tyler Silva, a 29-year-old graphic designer, created Bunz Friending Zone a year ago in hopes of allowing people to do just that. Silva was inspired by the trading zone because he had met real friends through Bunz interactions and decided to extend that opportunity to others. Today his group has almost 4,000 members.

"You can be like, 'I really like cheese, does anybody want to go try a bunch of cheese?' And somebody [might say], 'Yeah I'm super into that!'" Silva said. "So then they meet up and they may become friends, maybe not, but at least they get out and do a cool thing that they like."

Intrigued by this newfound meeting ground, I decided to meet some peeps on Bunz Friending Zone myself. Although my parents would probably scold me for meeting strangers off the interweb (they did), I exercised my judgment and took a few worthy risks. Every day for a week, to be exact.

My first friend date was a game of early afternoon tennis in the park. I work nights at a restaurant so I planned on making day dates with people all week. A few days before, a woman named Hannah wrote a short but sweet post asking for some tennis friends, offering rackets for those who didn't have any. I'm not exactly a star tennis player but I've tried my hand at the game before, and I'm usually down for active pastimes. So I shot Hannah a Facebook message saying I'd love to join her for a match. The conversation was easy, emojis abundant, as if we were already girlfriends and not strangers. So we picked a date.

On the streetcar to meet Hannah that Monday, I did a quick review of her Facebook profile photos so I could identify her IRL. It felt like a blind date, but somehow even more nerve wracking. I waited for her inside the tennis courts and when she arrived she gave me a huge hug, again, as if we were girlfriends. But I was appreciative of her immediate warmness and felt most of the nervousness ebb.

We chatted a bit about our days and work lives before playing and continued to get to know each other throughout the match. Fortunately, we were at the same medium skill level and were super supportive of each other. After about half an hour, we left the court and toured the nearby shops. In talking, I discovered that we were almost the same age and we actually knew a few of the same people.

Hannah was also unexpectedly willing to share parts of her personal life, such as her struggles with mental health, past relationships and even her uncertainty about her future. She also told me that she is part of several groups online meant for meeting friends, saying that it's a good way to weed out the bad people that she wants to avoid. After recently dealing with a bad breakup and moving downtown alone, Hannah's met a lot of new friends online and continues to join and create her own groups. A few nights before, she left work feeling really burnt out, so she posted in Bunz Friending Zone asking for a friend to grab a drink. She received a bunch of responses and met up with some friendly folks almost immediately.

I was touched by her openness towards me, a stranger. But after that, we really weren't strangers anymore and even agreed to play tennis together again soon. Going back on the friending zone later that night and recognizing a familiar face made it feel more like a real community.

On day two, I planned to meet a woman who posted in the friending zone looking for new girlfriends. By this point I had turned on my notifications for the group and was getting them legit every few minutes. When Andrea's popped up a few days earlier, I thought she sounded pleasant and non-Single White Female like, so I messaged her saying, "Hey! Down for a fitness buddy or patio hang! :)" Less than half an hour later she said she loved the idea, so we made plans to meet up in Kensington Market for lunch on Tuesday.

In the process of making plans, I creeped this woman's profile…and guys, she was stunning. She was super stylish and basically Instagram famous because of a branding company she created (I didn't know about her company until after the date). So the first thing that came to mind was, why does this woman need to stoop to Facebook for friends? But I soon realized the huge flaw in thinking that and started to further understand the friending zone. The truth is that everyone needs friends and what you look like is pretty irrelevant. Why stigmatize an activity that empowers people and builds community all around?

But FORGET ALL THAT because I was running super late to meet Andrea and no matter what she looked like, I was certain she hated me. Under my impression we were meeting for a patio lunch, but when I had her waiting 20 minutes because of public transit, she texted me saying that she was getting a bagel because she was hungry. For the next five minutes it took me to meet her, I was sweating buckets and panicking that I just ruined the whole date. What would we do now that she already ate? Did she even want to stay?

Luckily, she was sweet about it all. And it turns out we are super similar people with similar values and even share the same astrology sign (girl points!). After clambering over the awkwardness of my late arrival, we shared wonderful conversation over a crepe quesadilla and a smoothie. Despite our eight-year age gap, we clicked really well and we're already making plans to hang out again. Can we say, score?

By midweek I decided it was time to really put myself out there and post in the group. So, Tuesday night, I asked if anyone would join me in a Beyonce dance class Wednesday afternoon. I'd been wanting to try Beyography for months (I weirdly have had experience performing Beyonce choreography in public) and knowing they had a day class every Wednesday, this was the perfect way to make a new friend. Strenuously dancing among a group of people for two straight hours would probably eliminate any social discomfort that might occur in one-on-one interactions—plus I knew that anyone who agreed to this would be my kind of pal.

I was worried though that no one would want to go on such short notice, especially considering a class costs $20. But within 11 minutes, a woman named Ashley commented on my post, saying that she'd never heard of the class and was interested. I replied back asking if she was available and … no response. After waiting for an hour, I went to bed hoping I would wake up to an affirmative response.

Let me just add that by this point I started dreaming about Bunz friend dates. That night I dreamt I was trying to coordinate a time to meet up with a person but we couldn't pick one for the life of us. Dizzying, really.

Anyways, the next morning, I woke up to a "Yup!" from Ashley as well as likes and comments from a few other interested ladies. While no one else was available that day, having one person was all I needed. Ashley and I registered and paid online then and there.

At the class, it did not feel like a blind date at all because almost everyone was a stranger to their neighbour. I did feel a stronger connection to Ashley though and referred to her as "my friend" to the instructor. It was definitely a great way to break the ice, despite the fact that Ashley had real dance experience (i.e., she was way better than me) and that I got some bloody scratches from intense booty popping.

To this day, I strangely feel like I'd met Ashley before that, but when I brought it up she didn't feel the same. Either way, for that reason I was really comfortable with her. She was a goof like me and even loved that I was writing this story. When I asked her about Bunz, she said she'd made lots of deals on the trading zone in the past, but never met anyone on the friending zone. And after our experience she said she'd do it again.

Keeping up with the theme of body exertion in mid-June heat, I decided to attend a daily park exercise that a woman in the friending zone encouraged people to come out to. This woman, who was the instructor, wrote that they meet every morning at 8 am to do a one-hour circuit. Waking up for exercise at eight in the morning was not an easy or welcomed task considering my late work hours, but I happily made the sacrifice in the name of journalism. I figured it would be a fun way to get in a workout and meet some other fitness friends in the city.

Alas, when I arrived at the park on time, I didn't see anybody in workout attire. I sat on a rock, waiting for someone to arrive but time kept passing and still no one showed. Part of me was relieved because I felt way too groggy for a full body workout. But, being my optimistic self, I continued to wait for a bit in case they might arrive. They never did, but a man named Thomas did.

Dressed in muddy trousers and a hoodie, looking like he had been awake for the past 48 hours, and missing his front teeth, Thomas hovered around me and asked who I was waiting for. When I said my friends, he told me straight up, "I don't think they're coming." Methed-up man was right, they weren't coming and I probably should have confirmed the night before. I guess a flopped plan is also part of a real friend experience.

And instead of a fit lady friend, I met Thomas, a lanky man friend who offered me coke and meth, which I politely declined. Also, exclusive: Thomas told me he was an underground rapper for Drake, and I got a pretty good sample of Sean Kingston's "Letting Go" and a Thomas original. Bunz led me to that, so I am happy.

At the beginning of the week, a guy named Jefferson posted in the group, asking for a photographer to take pictures of him Slav squatting. The Slav squat, previously unbeknownst to me, is an internet phenomenon inspired by stereotypes of Slavic men squatting for photos while casually consuming booze and cigarettes. Jefferson wrote that while he was looking for new friends, he was also intrigued by this internet phenomenon and wanted to take part, despite not being Slavic. He noted that booze and smokes would be part of the photoshoot and was quite endearing in his request. Surprisingly, though, it only gained a handful of likes and comments.

I was intrigued by this man's unique approach to the friending zone and I instantly messaged him saying that I could take photos for him. So on Friday afternoon, Jefferson met me in Toronto's Graffiti Alley, equipped with a tracksuit top, flat cap, smokes and a large bottle of Heineken (We later concurred that meeting a stranger in an alley probably wasn't the best idea on either of our parts, but we're both still here, so).

The photoshoot lasted about ten minutes, partly because of the 30 plus degree heat, but also because we had some winning shots. And we were laughing the whole time about the ridiculousness of it all. As Jefferson finished his beer afterwards, he explained that he thought his request was a good icebreaker in meeting new people—and he was right. Up until then, he'd never actually met someone from the friending zone, but said he'd probably do it again seeing as our meetup went pretty well.

Like most of the other friends I met, Jefferson is part of several other Bunz zones in the city and says that it has benefitted him profoundly. He found the listing for his current apartment on the Bunz Home Zone, has found a roommate, and has done some pretty sweet trades all through Bunz. With regards to the friending zone, a recent breakup actually led him the group. He and his ex had shared the same social group, so when their relationship ended, the friendships dissipated. The friending zone, he thought, was the perfect outlet to rebuild his social life.

At the end of the day, I learned a lot about how social media can truly affect a person's real life for the better. Also, Jefferson and I walked away with a bunch of laughs and photos that could potentially illustrate an epic eastern European story for years to come. If those aren't the signs of a budding friendship, I don't know what are.

WATCH: How Bunz Trading Zone Is Planning Its Global Takeover

If I could sum up my week, I'd say it was pretty fucking tiring. Meeting up with someone every day, even for a few hours, takes up a significant amount of your time. And to be honest, that's probably the main reason why I don't see most of my good friends on a regular basis. When everyone works a lot and schedules are difficult to match, the stress and time of making plans that might fall apart is just too exhausting.

But this week also taught me how worth it it is to make that time to see friends, both old and new. A lot of the friends I met this week echoed the point that city people tend to think they're always busy. In reality, it is possible to make time, and it's important to do so. In a world where technology may be isolating us more than ever, it's also connecting us with people across wider spectrums than we could have thought possible just ten years ago. I definitely made a few friends out of it. Thanks, internet.

Follow Ebony-Renee Baker on Twitter.