DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve been looking for a fresh start for a few years. I didn’t know exactly what I needed to change, but I felt disappointment when I’d reflect on my life. One day, I decided to change my location on LinkedIn and began getting some great job offers. For a time, I’d take interviews; when I’d get offered a job, I’d get cold feet and decline. In the last round of interviews I did, I decided to go for it! I had to move within a month, and I am now in a brand-new city with a brand-new job. As you may have gathered, though, I can be a bit of a nervous wreck. How do I build a new social life outside of just co-workers? -- Fresh Start

DEAR FRESH START: First, congratulations on pushing outside your comfort zone to expand your life. That took a lot of courage. It’s OK at first to spend more time with colleagues than people who don’t work with you. The truth is, most people’s lives revolve around work and family. Pay attention to the people at work so that you can consciously choose who would be good to welcome as friends.

Beyond work, think about your interests and explore them in your town. What leisure activities do you enjoy? Museums? Art galleries? Rock climbing? Whatever it is, look to see what’s going on in your new town that interests you, and sign up for it. It’s totally fine to go alone. When you get there, look around and notice who else is there by themselves. Be courageous and walk up to people who seem interesting. Go for it!

DEAR HARRIETTE: My neighbors have been driving me up the wall lately. They’re constantly loud late at night, sometimes blasting music, other times just having loud conversations that go on for hours. They’re a younger group and seem to have people over nearly every night of the week, and the noise carries right through the walls. I’ve tried to handle it a mature and polite way; I’ve gone over and asked them nicely on multiple occasions to please keep it down, especially during the week when I have to get up early for work. Every time, they apologize and say they’ll be more mindful, but nothing ever changes. To make matters more frustrating, they have a dog that barks constantly, sometimes in the middle of the night, other times early in the morning. It’s really affecting my sleep and my ability to relax in my own home. I’m exhausted, frustrated and starting to dread coming home. Is it time to involve the landlord or file a noise complaint? I’m worried that might just make things worse. -- Too Loud

DEAR TOO LOUD: Now is the time to speak to your landlord. Explain the situation and ask for help. You can also look up the rules around noise in your area so that you feel confident in your right to complain. If the landlord is ineffective, that's when you file the formal complaint with the police department. Will your neighbors be mad? Yes, but nothing else is working.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions toaskharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister and I have always been close, but lately our relationship has been feeling strained, and I think it has a lot to do with how she constantly compares our kids. Every time we’re together, she makes comments about how much more advanced her daughter is or how her son is better behaved. She’ll say things like, “Well, mine was already reading at that age,” or “Maybe you should try what we do, it seems to work.” Sometimes it’s subtle, but other times it feels downright competitive.

At first, I brushed off her comments because I thought she was just proud of her children and maybe didn’t realize how her words were coming across. Over time, it’s really started to wear on me. I find myself dreading family gatherings or holding back updates about my own kids because I know it will lead to some kind of comparison or judgment. I want to talk to my sister about it, but I’m afraid that if I bring it up, she’ll get defensive or accuse me of being overly sensitive. How can I ask her to stop making these comparisons? -- Stop the Comparisons

DEAR STOP THE COMPARISONS: Were the two of you competitive when you were children? Is there any competition between you today? If so, consider what your life was like before and if any of this behavior is reminiscent of the past.

Either way, tell your sister you need to talk to her. Bring up your concerns. Describe what happens when you are together. Give her a couple of examples of how she talks about the children and how it makes you feel. Explain that you are beginning to feel uncomfortable talking about your children in her presence given how she engages around them. Ask her to stop with the comparisons and love the children for who they are.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My best friend, “Pam,” doesn’t believe in marriage. She grew up with single parents, and I think that had an impact on her view of long-term committed relationships. That’s fair. For as long as I’ve known her, though, she pokes fun at or bullies people who have more traditional values. That’s not fair.

A new friend of ours, “Amy,” who is younger and a tad impressionable, prefers to date with the goal of marriage and a family in mind. She dates only one person at a time and takes it seriously. The other day, Pam asked why Amy refuses to date more people and if she thinks subjecting herself to one person is what will change her life. Later, I told Pam that she’s way too critical of people’s choices when it comes to dating and marriage, and she did not take it well. How can I get through to her? -- Strong Opinions

DEAR STRONG OPINIONS: Have a sit-down with Pam, and tell her you have bitten your tongue about this topic, but you need to address it head-on. She is entitled to her way of living -- just as others are. You find it rude and sometimes mean to belittle people for having different views about relationships. Ask her to stop, especially with this impressionable young woman.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: There’s this guy I’ve been seeing, and now that we’re official, I’ve been spending a lot more time at his house. I recently learned about a strange habit of his that I don’t appreciate. He works in sanitation and often has early morning shifts. When he leaves for work, he walks outside shirtless. The first time this happened, I was shocked. I asked him where he was going without his clothing, and he said his shirt was in the car. He was parked right in front of his house, but I found it inappropriate.

I’ve seen him do this multiple times. He claims he doesn’t like to bring his uniform into the house and would rather just put it on when he’s on his way to work. I just don’t understand why he feels the need to walk outside with only half his clothing on. It’s a turnoff for me, quite frankly. I think an undershirt could be the simple answer to this problem. Am I blowing this out of proportion? -- Half-Naked

DEAR HALF-NAKED: Your boyfriend is being practical. Working in sanitation means that his uniform is likely not fresh -- even if he launders it regularly. Not bringing that into the house probably seems hygienic to him.

You are facing an etiquette dilemma: You grew up believing people should not go outside undressed. How do you address this? Directly. Tell your boyfriend that it makes you uncomfortable that he leaves the house half-naked. Explain that it bothers you because your value system says that’s inappropriate. Ask him if he would consider wearing an undershirt.

If he says no, you will have to decide what you can live with. People have all kinds of quirks. Is going to his car shirtless a dealbreaker for you?

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend invited me to a party over the weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve been social, so I wanted to get back out there. I offered to pick her and a few other friends up. At some point, my friend was encouraging me to take shots of liquor, and in hopes of loosening up, I did. By the end of the night, I was in no condition to drive. I asked my friend to walk around a bit with me, but she complained about the heat and encouraged me to drink water instead. She wanted to head to another bar, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to join. She called a cab for herself and the other friends and told me to go make up my mind in my car.

I don’t get why my friend abandoned me while I wasn’t sober. I ended up waiting in my car for about two hours until I felt better. She didn’t even text to ask if I was OK. I don’t know what conversation to have with her. -- Under the Influence

DEAR UNDER THE INFLUENCE: She is not your friend. Anyone who would abandon you in that way should be ashamed. Whenever, if ever, you decide to speak to her again, tell her that her behavior was inexcusable, selfish and dangerous -- the opposite of anything resembling friendship.

I would also like to commend you for taking the time to get sober before getting behind the wheel. Another solution would have been to call a cab or rideshare.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)