I like to think I learn from my mistakes. We all do, right? After spending a summer in France, I realized I could’ve been more aggressive on the making friends front. That might be weird to ask for their number. It would be awkward if we hung out since we don’t each other that well.
This summer in Texas, I said not anymore. That means reaching out about getting coffee or dinner, not waiting for someone to ask. Being the new girl is exhausting, but after six weeks here, I feel like I’m in a good groove. I have to credit that to my relentless pursuit of friendship. This month has been filled with Dallas adventures and new friends. Here’s my top 5:
1 . The “say yes” rule
When she lived in a new city for a summer, my friend Emilee adopted a “yes rule.” If someone asked her to do something, she had to say yes if she wasn’t busy. (To be clear, this doesn’t apply to illegal activities, hehe.) Saying yes when you’d rather stay in bed watching Netflix winds you up in some interesting situations that push you out of your comfort zone.
I reached out to an old acquaintance as I knew she lived in town and asked if she wanted to hang out. She invited me to come to a food festival/concert with some of her friends, and I agreed. Long story short, I got into a minor car accident, there was severe weather that caused us to go through two different outfits, the concert got delayed, the microphones were MIA, and I (sort of) heard the All-American Rejects play an acoustic version of “Gives You Hell.” It was a weird night, that’s all I gotta say.
But overall, the “say yes” rule has pushed me out of my comfort zone and introduced me to some really cool people. I celebrated my birthday with some of these friends at the coolest venue called Happiest Hour: an indoor low-lit seating with ambience, a rooftop terrace with skyline views and a grassy area with picnic tables. It’s Texas, so it was a sticky night and the cupcakes melted. But it was a birthday with savory food and cheery conversation that I’ll cherish for many years to come.
2 . Take advantage of people
Hear me out. Not in a bad way though. But reach out to the people around you and learn from them. I asked my previous bosses for any contacts they had down in Texas, and through those, I’ve met some hardworking individuals and learned more about their careers. I love nothing more than connecting with ambitious, creative people, and on a coffee meeting with one of these recommended friends, I found out that this contact and I graduated from the same high school in Missouri. Small world!
3 . Speaking of learning from mistakes …
I shared a post on my biggest travel mistakes and how you can learn from mine so you don’t have to. Here’s four lessons I’ve learned after traveling to 11 countries. I also launched an instant PDF download called the Ultimate Travel Planner Printables Pack, which walks you through planning out your next vacation in a jiffy!
4 . Enneagram and travel
I’m big into personality types and tests, which is why I’ve been thinking about writing a post on where to travel based on your Enneagram type. Did I get yours right? Share in the comments!
5 . Staycation
Another mistake I’ve learned from: not taking advantage of where you are at the moment. In France, I was so focused on the day-to-day things that I didn’t get to explore my town and nearby as much as I would’ve liked. So this summer in Dallas, I’ve been filling my weekends with a stroll through the Dallas Farmers Market, visit to the Perot Museum and hunt for the best coffee shops. Instead of wishing today away, take the chance to explore the 10-mile radius around you.
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