You seem like you write pretty well - have you thought about blogging/twitter as an alternative to sifting through people at meetups in person? I've found it to be much more natural and easier as well.
*edit, +write
I imagine it considerably harder (not impossible!) to convert anonymous blog posts into contracts/job leads, compared with something that has your name and work history attached.
Of course, I'm not ignoring the very real potential downsides and repercussions to writing online about politics, religion, drugs, etc - but based on your posting history here your interests would do plenty fine on a general purpose blog.
If I'm ever able to transition to contracting or living off of my endeavors full time I'd write under my true name. Unfortunately, I'm still a white collar wage slave.
Wishing you luck with writing in whatever form feels most comfortable!