Ok, so I was using all aspects to meet people, and I started to try to use my superb google skills to find things to do for young people in the area. I hadn't even moved to my current city yet, but had it all lined up, and I had the idea to look for a young professionals organization in the area. I actually found one after quite a lot of surfing, but it worked out well and they were having the first meeting of the year about a week after I moved in to my new place and two days after I started my job.
The first meeting was pretty good, the speaker had backed out- but there was good wine so I was happy. The meeting was held at this great Tapas restaurant with a nice size meeting room and a huge back patio with heaters. Ok, I know it is Florida- but the heaters were necessary. As it was the first meeting of the year it appeared that they had a great turnout. The dynamic of the meeting was interesting...I guess with the average age in town being around 70, the way you interpret "young" begins to change. I would say that a significant number of people at the meeting were in their forties. Also people knew right away that I wasn't from around here because I hadn't dated "your brother's sisters's cousin's hairdresser who was in your first grade class." Although Florida is the land of transplants, in this area it seems that the people were all transplanted from "up-north" before the age of ten and therefore all went to high school together. It's so bad here that you don't even have to ask "The St. Louis Question" because people already know where you went.....creepy...and they didn't even have to facebook stalk you.
So, I stuck out like a sore thumb, which was good in some ways because people felt obligated to try to include me, however, I use the word obligated, because the majority of the people there were very fake about it. They would take my phone number and say they'd call, or "we'll go out on the boat next weekend" but they never do....I understand that they don't need new friends and that I am the one who needs the new friends, but come on people...DON'T TEASE ME LIKE THAT! I did end up drinking a lot of wine and having stimulating conversation and I was out of my house so I wasn't complaining, just wished I could have gotten more out of it. As the new girl that people hadn't seen before I did leave with my tab being paid twice and neither time by me, so I can't complain at all :)
I guess I look back on the experience now worse than it was mostly because it didn't materialize into anything more. The clubs communication and reaching out to new members was not good at all. I only attended another meeting afterwards, (and ended up paying dues and joining- but I haven't been to another meeting since forking out the cash), and it was only because I had been bored that day at work and was looking on facebook and saw that the meeting was that night. At the first meeting I went to they talked about their next events like a monthly luncheon that they have- the problem for me with that is that I get 1 hour for lunch, but I work 30 minutes away from the county that they do the lunch meetings in...soooo yeah. Then the next meeting after the initial one I went to was when I had to go out of town for work, etc. etc. I think that I could make friends and make a better run at this life here, but I need communication to know when things are going on etc.
I guess, I'll leave this tactic as...."I guess it looks good on a resume."
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