As human beings, we definitely share a lot of interests, and when we go to work, we find someone there with whom we share the same hobbies and interests. It might be a list of sports, arts, etc. The good thing is that we are usually attracted to those who are like us.
Since we do the same list of activities, our personalities become, to some extent, alike, and we become more likely to become friends. The background is there.
Those people are precisely who will become your permanent friends. You just need to know who they are, and you will see how work will be enjoyable if you have a friend who read the same books, plays the same sports, visits the same places, etc.
You will feel yourself close to a brother or a sister, not just close to a work mate.
During your lunchtime, you might be surprised and happy that some of your colleagues are just fans of the same soccer team as you are. If they do not practice the same sport, they might like the themes and ideas spread out through the same TV show you watch every night.