Day 16: MeetUp

📍 Location: Manhattan, New York, USA

A really easy way to meet other people in a new city is to use the app MeetUp. I mentioned this app already in the blog post from last Monday when I was planning on running with the Dashing Whippets. You just apply for an activity that suits you and go there. There are all kinds of activities, ranging from working out together, rooftop parties and even learning a new language. Whatever you want.

At first I thought it was maybe a little bit embarrassing to use this app. That I would be one of those sad, lonely people with no friends whose only way to get some human contact is by using this app. But my roommate told me that loads of people are using this app and only a few are sad and lonely. So I was convinced.

By the way, I forgot the name of my roommate unfortunately. But I can’t ask her anymore because it’s too late now. That would be something like ’Hey, I know we’ve basically been breathing in the same air for almost two weeks now, but what’s your name again? That’s rude. So now my first roommate ever will be remembered as ‘the American girl’.

On Thursday night I went to a free yoga class with a friend from school. And we were not the only ones, because the gym (located in a public school in the Upper East Side) was completely filled with people. It was my first time doing yoga and probably the last. Except for the last exercise where we could just lay down with our eyes closed, I was not flexible enough to do most of them. I felt like an old lady. Very sad haha.

Because most of my friends here are going out on Friday nights and unfortunately I can’t join them, I decided to go have diner with five strangers instead. This activity was a bit risky, because the creeps of MeetUp could get easily attracted by these kind of things. But it turned out to be really nice.

Everyone was very nice - although there was a tiny generation gap. I had a very nice conversation with one guy in particular . He had traveled a few years ago through Europe and was a source of information, tips and advise that I could use for my upcoming road trip.

The only thing that you shouldn’t do, is to have dinner with someone like that again. Chances are there will be some kind of miscommunication regarding to the different expectations (especially when you let the guy pay). See, I had reached my goal. I had all of information I needed. But after we said goodbye, I received all these texts in which he said that he already had tons of other places in mind where we could go to in the future and especially places where you can play board games (??). Ehhhh, sorry, but unfortunately I’m occupied for the next two weeks. Take care.

This night my new roommate (remembered her name :)) said something to me that’s so simple but so true. She said that when you’re traveling alone, you’ll find out that it’s so much nicer to spend time with yourself than to spend time with someone that you actually don’t really like. And there’s nothing wrong with that.