Almost three years ago I relocated to Dallas.   I was excited for a new adventure and looked forward to a fresh start. Once I got settled, I was ready to venture out and explore the city!

I was informed by one of my residents, who was also a Dallas transplant, that she joined Meetups and loved it!   I was excited to check out her recommendation and explore the “Big D”.  I searched the local Meetup.com and there were soo many options!   Most of the groups were free, but a few had a minimal fee to join.   The different groups had small questionnaires to get to know you and your interests.   Shortly after I completed the questionnaires I received a confirmation that I was accepted in the Meetup group.     Time to get involved!!

To give you an idea of what Meetups are out there, I joined Social Girlfriends of North Dallas, DFW Friends and Fun, Random Events Dallas, Happy Hour at the Shops, DFW Volunteers, and Dallas Professional Singles.   This was an awesome way to not only meet some new friends, but explore the city and go places I would have never heard of otherwise.

Let me tell you about my first Meetup experience.  There was an event in Downtown Dallas at the House of Blues.   I had never hung out downtown before and thought this would be a great opportunity. We were meeting at a Japanese Restaurant a few blocks from the House of Blues. The event was hosted by a Single Girlfriends Meetup and 7 girls Rsvp’d, including me.     When I arrived to the restaurant I checked online to see if anyone else was there. I saw that several girls posted they had arrived.   I went ahead in, thinking I would be able to pick out the group. I saw a group of girls sitting at a round table; I figured that had to be them. I walked over to the group and asked if they were part of the Meetup, they looked at me and said “NO.” I started laughing, it wasn’t them!! Oh gee whiz, so I went back and waited by the entrance.   Soon enough the group walks through the door.   Other than approaching the wrong table, the night went great!

It feels good to get out of your comfort zone and I recommend anyone that is new to an area, or just looking to expand their circle of friends, to join Meetup.   I had an awesome experience and attended numerous events!  I felt like I was in college again! If you are a last minute person, there is a Meetup App that would be perfect for you!

Now that I’m back in St. Louis, I decided to join some St. Louis Meetups.   I have a great circle of friends here, but most are married and have started families. Why not branch out and meet some new friends? I’m excited to discover St. Louis again!

It doesn’t matter where you are in life; there is a Meetup for you! Join the groups that interest you and meet some new friends, learn something new, and have fun doing the activities you love.

I made some amazing lifelong friends through Meetup and I’m sure you can, too!

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