When I meet someone I think I might like to know better, my secret is to share somethingaboutmyself that is both personal and maybe a little embarrassing or self-deprecating (I often tell people that I am divorced.) That tends to spark their curiosity and open them up.
And I've frequently debated with myself whether there's something unique about the meteorology, or whether one is simply more exposed to the sky while there than elsewhere.
The bumps and hollows, the scary reads -- we had them all and very early on I told myself to enjoy the experience, because this was not about the score, it was something to be savored.