This will be my second weekend now living in this new city. Have I had a night out? No. Partly because of money, as I don’t get paid until a few weeks from now so I need to be careful or I might not have enough for the upcoming rent and bills. I know I won’t enjoy those times of the month. The other part is that I still don’t know anyone here besides my coworkers. As great as they are, I’m still the new guy and they have their little cliques that I’m trying to slip through. Anyone else relate to that struggle? As much as I want to talk with them when I’m free, I also need to study and better understand my job duties or it will reflect when I actually go on my own. Things will get better on that front with time, but on my own it’s tougher to meet people outside of work. You might think go to the bar or club, but you know me! I hate clubs with a passion, and bars I don’t frequent since I hardly drink. I prefer sports bars, but with friends; like most other people do. You don’t see many solo people watching the game at those bars.
The other options are joining sports leagues, going to concerts, or some other activity happening in town. I certainly can do those things, but again the money factor. Try not to think I’m making excuses, because I’m easy to get along with and I want to go out but when you’re trying to get through the 1st month without a paycheck it can be a struggle. I’m good with money, but I could also go down a slippery slope of purchasing. $90 for a concert? Sure! Hammock stand $60? Yes! Sports league $65? Fun! A night out of drinking with buddies $30 + food? Ugh. You get what I’m trying to convey that it can be easy to see money disappear without realizing it. Especially in this city where music is everywhere, outdoor stuff can be found in good spots, and the food is more expensive. Plus traffic sucks here if I haven’t mentioned that before.
I kind of expected my first month would be “boring” to some people, but I think many of you can relate when you moved somewhere new. That first month or so is your exploration phase. Where you figure out what streets to take, where are the safe places in town, what might be interesting to go visit soon, and so on. Then eventually you just have to bump into the right people who are open to making friends, and go from there. So I know that group of adventurers are somewhere around this city, and we’ll meet soon. I just need a little money, and figure out how I will meet them. Outdoors? Volunteering? Concert? Not only am I learning at work, but I still have to understand what this city has to offer and someday I hope to see what the world (your country to you reading this) has to offer me. . .
Novatourist 