When I moved to Singapore for a project assignment, there were days when I would want to go out for a drink or a coffee or do something but couldn't find company. It is during this time that a common friend told me about 'Meetups'.
I think Meetups are a great way to make friends who you can do things with, without having to commit to making a new relationship or planning too much in advance. You can join a group according to your interests and also meet new interesting people, most of who will turn up to be quite friendly and kind.
So my first Meetup was a social get together for a Bangladeshi dinner at a restaurant called Maharani, in Ipswich. We were to meet an hour earlier at a pub nearby, called the Brewers Arms, to grab a drink and just get to know everyone if we liked. So after work, my husband took over the baby duty for the evening and I reached the pub at 7. The pub was alright but I got introduced to the members of the group slowly and I was really enjoying myself. There were members of different age groups, different genders and ethnicities and work profiles and yet everyone was really kind and friendly. After a drink or two, we headed down to the restaurant and ordered our food. The food again was alright for me, since I think I've had better tasting food elsewhere but the company and the conversations made it very worthwhile.
I also made some new acquaintances and exchanged numbers with the hope that we might even catch up outside the Meetups sometimes. It's very refreshing to be able to go out alone and have a normal adult conversation without having to worry too much about your baby once in awhile. I think all parents should do this once in a while at least, to feel normal😊 this goes for dads and mums both!
So, that was my first Meetup experience in Ipswich .. how about everyone else? Has anyone been to a Meetup anywhere in the world? What kind of Meetups interest people and what were your experiences?
Starry Eyed Enigma 