Campaign for Companions: UPDATE

Recent happenings and feelings of mine have given me the kick in the butt to really get going on my networking and "putting myself out there" in this thriving metropolis that is the New York State Capital District. I had a rather successful weekend as I reached out and then spent Friday evening out to dinner and hanging out with work friends for the first time.

That continued through to this week as I had made plans to have lunch on Monday with a co-worker in the cafeteria. This co-worker, I thought was around my age. He started the same day as me and identified himself as an intern. However, turns out he is interning as he finishes up his 5-year PhD program which he started after taking a some years off after finishing his undergraduate degree in India. Although I doubt he'll want to come out to celebrate my 22nd birthday next month, I did have a good time with him at lunch and it was nice to eat WITH someone as opposed to alone at my desk.

Tuesday was an even better networking day for me. I actually had three different events lined up for myself to "meet people" and one turned out to be a great sucess (insert Borat impression here)! The day was a challenge for me on another level because every event I went to had free food attached. Free things = my favorite things. Food = the love of my life. Free food = my ultimate weakness. My first event was a lunchtime intern learning session which turned out to be really unsuccessful in me meeting people as well as in me learning anything. However, I didn't eat any of the free food (although I did take 2 bottles of Diet Pepsi)! So that was a success.

After work from 5:30-7:00 p.m. there was a Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Council meeting. Yeah, sounds corny, right? Well, it was called a "Membertini" which means it is a thumbs up for me since it has an alcohol reference in its name. And it was for non-members to come and experience what they do and learn about the Women in Business Council. I'm all about being a grown up now and was thinking, "Hell yeah I'm a woman in business-- I'm down!" So after work I show up to this thing, I sign in and get this big folder of information and a free drink ticket (cha-ching!). I was told to put on a nametag with "My name and business name on it" which I thought it was a little weird to write down where I worked, but whatever, I did it.

There are tons of ladies all over mingling and some that look relatively young. I just sort of stood around for a little until they divided us into smaller groups based on a number that was attached to our folders. I was in a group of about 8, everybody was old ladies, and as soon as we sit down everyone starts passing around business cards. Yup-- don't have those. So I just didn't.

Then the leader of our group starts us off and tells us to go around the circle and introduce ourselves and tell everyone about our businesses. I'm excited because usually grown ups are impressed that I have a job at a top company right out of college. The first lady starts to talk. She introduces herself and starts to describe the business she owns where she goes around to different companies and consults them on how to retain their employees. She owns her own business... cool. The next lady talks about how she has her own business making her own jewelry. Another who owns her own business... cool. The next lady talks about her own business selling real estate. Umm... another?.... cool. The next lady talks about how she owns her own limo company. What? Fuck.

APPARENTLY, the Women in Business Council is for women who OWN their own businesses, not just any woman in business. Needless to say I looked like a gaint douche bag when it came around to me and I introduced myself then told them that I work for not just any company, but one of the largest, most well known, and most international companies in the world which CLEARLY I don't own. Good one Katie.

So that was an interesting event. After that experience, I headed over to another networking event that was run by my company's Young Leaders group in the area. Now, THAT, was a great experience. I met a lot of cool people who just relocated to the area as well, don't know too many people, are just out of college, and like to go out/have fun (cha-ching! cha-ching!).

Overall the day was a success... and I was proud of myself because I didn't eat any of the free food or have any unneccesary calories at all. I've been doing so well that it is actually making me really really nervous to weigh myself tomorrow because I know that I can't try any harder than I have been trying this week and if the scale hasn't moved at all, I am going to be SO discouraged and I don't know if I will be able to keep this up. But we'll see! Weigh in is tomorrow morning... eek!