Remember, the goal of small talk is to find topics both of you are interested in conversing about. Safe small talk topics at a BBQ include the weather, the food, and how you got invited. E.g., at the Halloween Party I went to this past weekend a fellow was pointing out the Rioja (wine) he brought. I mentioned my Spanish go-to was solera-style Tempranillo and wondered how he got into Riojas. Apparently, he'd visited an underground winery in Spain. He asked if I enjoyed looking at travel photos. I said definitely. I spotted some windmills in the photo and asked if they were taken near La Mancha and it was, he made a reference to Rocinante and we were apparently both aficionados of foreign cultures and travel and began sharing about our experiences. Some conversations last longer, some conversations last shorter, and it's okay to pause between them.
