Sarah H. Bernstein

For the time being, I’m putting my personal blog on hold. I don’t think it’s adding much more value to my online presence. Once I figure out what I want to put here I promise, I’ll be back. 

Oh St. Paddy’s Day. You were the best.

whatshouldwecallme:

In college you have orientation, sororities, classes, clubs and many more opportunities to make friends. And then, you move to a new city. You find that you have less of a network than you were accustomed to. I mean, there are only so many times you can go to dinner with a high school friend or a friend of a friend that someone knew. Those people have their own networks to deal with. Some weekends were spent holed up in my apartment watching reruns of Chopped (don’t judge) while others were spent exploring the new town on my own. I know I know, I’ve been here for over a year now but it still doesn’t quite feel like home.

If you’re in the same boat, I’ll leave you with these four tips to get you off your couch this weekend.

1. Volunteer – for me this has been at the local (coming soon) 3 Stars Brewery. For you it might be a church, animal shelter, or hospital. It should be something you’re interested in or else you won’t have the chance to make friends with a common interest. For me, it was beer that lead me to the brewery and a well-rounded network of boozers.
2. LinkedIn (and other social networking sites) – Make sure you’re on LinkedIn. This is the easiest way to find other professionals like you in your city. Starting your own blog or connecting with people on Twitter is a great way to meet like-minded people.
3. Join a club or team – If you’re in DC, it’s a dodgeball or kickball league. If you’re not, if could be a book club, dinner club, cooking club, etc. Something that you can commit to on a weekly or monthly basis. 
4. Say Yes! – Stop making excuses for reasons you can’t go to happy hour or for a bike ride. You can! Believe me, even if it’s not something you’re particularly interested in, here’s someone offering you an opportunity, basically handing you an envelope that says “I like you enough to invite you along,” so what are you waiting for?

Cheers to my new merry band of misfits and I couldn’t be happier to have them in my life. 

How have you made friends after graduating? 

If I ever get married, this sounds about right. 

“Our table names were beer styles, we paired each course of the meal with a different beer, and guests received a personalized beer tasting glass as a favor.” 

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/weddings/bridalparty/22367.html

A year ago today I packed up my life and moved to Washington, DC. I had a good job, good friends and some good ideas. Now, if you know anything about me, you know I never settle for good, I’m always on the hunt for great. A year later, I can’t say it’s been smooth sailing, but I can say I’ve never been happier.

10 things I’ve learned about DC

1. The metro really isn’t all that complicated, now the buses, that’s another story
2. Pay the extra $100 to fly out of National Airport instead of BWI or Dulles, you’d just pay that money in a cab anyway
3. Happy hour is an event. Get drunk, talk politics, end of story. Can’t be avoided.
4. Georgetown Cupcakes is probably the worst of the cupcake shops
5. A pool is a luxury, a parking spot is heaven
6. Brunch is best enjoyed on Sundays with mimosas
7. The best restaurant (so far) is called Thai X-Ing. You’ll have to call 5 times to get a reservation, and yes, it’s in the basement of a row house.
8. Seasons, dear God. The seasons. I missed that in Tampa where it was just, summer.
9. In most cases, people lie. Especially, craigslist roommates.
10. Your coworkers are your life blood. They keep you going. At least in my case.

10 things I’ve learned about me:

1. There’s never a bad time to watch Julie and Julia
2. I don’t mind vacuuming, but I’d pay someone to do my dishes
3. There can never been enough exclamation points to express enthusiasm
4. I really like writing and hope that Twitter doesn’t destroy that (damn you 140 characters)
5. Leftover booze works just fine in baked goods
6. I don’t need a car. I miss it, but I don’t need it
7. Relationships are tough, but worth the fight. Friends, boyfriends, family, D. all of the above.
8. I laugh. A lot. And really loud.
9. I’m not afraid to fail. I’m afraid of the day that I stop trying.
10. I have a whole lot more to learn

A year later, and still smiling.