I would tell myself that most people are shy, and most people are grateful if someone else breaks the ice. Also, they can’t read my mind so they don’t know if I’m thinking I just want to see if they come from my home town or if I’m just thinking ‘gawd you’re so hot I want to jump your bones!’
So I tell myself just to act ordinary and not show how anxious I am about this conversation. I know I can handle myself in an ordinary conversation. So if I pretend that’s what’s going on, maybe I won’t be too shy to say anything.
Also, don’t worry too much about awkwardness. We usually don’t come across as awkward as we feel. The people who are awkward seeming tend not to be aware of it. If we do act awkward, and are aware of it, we can make a little self-deprecating joke about it.
This is all advice based on my experience. I ended up married, so I guess you could say I was successful at the beginning part of relationships. I don’t have to do well at picking up people. Which makes it a lot easier to be cool about things. Nothing is at stake for me. If you pretend nothing is at stake for you, you can be cool, too.