How to Say Hi to Your Neighbors (Boston)

This is a how-to guide for saying hi to neighbors on your street in Boston. Your neighborhood is probably filled with lots of transient residents, thanks to the hordes of students and younger folks in Boston (maybe this is you?). But that doesn't mean it can't be a neighborly place. Leaving your comfort zone and saying hi to the rest of the population can sometimes require a newfound confidence, but I learned firsthand that it feels really nice, and its contagious. This guide will help you with how to say hi to those random people on the street that are in fact, your neighbors.

For this instructable, you will need:
-yourself

This is an item on the Neighbors Project Neighbors Checklist

Step 1: Look Around You.

Being aware of your surroundings is a way to start getting more in touch with everyone in your neighborhood. Look at the people walking around you as friends you haven't made yet. When you're absorbed in what you're doing, it can get hard to distinguish these people as something more noteworthy than a mailbox. It will be easier to say hi to people if you see them as comrades.

Step 2: Get Confident.

Walk and talk confidently. Most people will enjoy a friendly hello more than you know, and they'll probably say hi back if you look like you really mean it. Look in the direction of the person in question.

Step 3: Say Hello

Make eye contact, smile, and say hello, hi, or whichever simple greeting you prefer. You can even nod, which is an easy way to say hi without actually saying it. Make sure you're not too overbearing. Don't get in someone's face, try to start conversation with strangers, or make someone feel awkward otherwise. Remember, this is supposed to be a friendly gesture, not a traumatizing one.