Where does one draw that line? The easiest way to meet people is to talk to them (I know, there’s a Nobel Prize in my future), and it is a lot more accepted in the South than it would be back in New Jersey (thank goodness!), but I still feel myself wondering when I’m being friendly and when I’m starting to cling to strangers.
There are a few other people who have also just arrived at the office, so the social pool has opened up, and we are all in a strange land with strangers.
There is camaraderie in circumstance, and I’m also applying that approach outside the office. I found my local yarn store by the farmer’s market yesterday and will be going to knit night on Thursday, even though I haven’t knit in weeks. Friday I purchased a bike off Craigslist so I can commute to work more efficiently, and also go bike riding. There is a poetry slam Tuesday night that I’ll attend solo, because unfortunately people were busy. Basically, anything that sounds vaguely interesting is going on my calendar.
Sometimes I get a little nervous though, because what am I thinking running to all these random events? I went to a history lecture in Chestnut Hill which populated almost exclusively by older, rich folk who could trace their roots back to the first German settlers of the area. It was a self-congratulatory and insular affair. I felt so awkward and out of place. I could only grab one cookie and feel like a complete girl anachronism.
Luckily, there was a really sweet woman there who was knitting, and I approached her about that. Although I never did make it out to the yarn stores she mentioned, her conversation made me feel like less of an intruder. I don’t know what the implications of Chestnut Hill becoming part of Philadelphia were: I hadn’t even heard of Chestnut Hill until I started my internship outside of Philadelphia!
So it is with some trepidation that I’ve compiled a short list of things to see in Arkansas. Some might be hits, some might be misses, but even the dreadful evening of miss had a bright spot. Feel free to suggest additions!
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