Connected

Recently I discovered a new social networking site called Meetup.com that allows you to make and join groups catering to a particular demographic or interest and setup meet-ups where you can go and socialize and do some activity together.  It seemed like a pretty good tool to meet people in an area you're new to, so this weekend I decided to give it a shot.  

Saturday night I met up with one such group to go play a game of laser tag.  I don't remember ever having so much fun playing laser tag (probably attributed to the fact that we had the arena to ourselves and there were no children).  The arena itself was pretty cool, with two stories and plenty of areas to cover and snipe at people.  We played two games (of which my team won the 2nd, go blue team!) before heading over to feed at the Ponsonby food court and doing some socializing.  As it turns out the organizer of the event was an amateur comedian whose act I happened to see on an open mic night at the local comedy club.  Small world eh? Aside from that, my choice of dinner sparked a conversation about spicy foods and as it turns out another of the attendees also loves spicy dishes and has a family member who owns an Indian restaurant in Auckland.  He is going to organize an event for spicy food lovers at his family's restaurant with real authentic Indian food and real authentic Indian spice.  I can't wait! 

Sunday I ended up going indoor rock climbing with another fella I met from the meet-up.  He's an interesting guy with an obvious passion adventure.  He had just finished hiking the Kepler Track a week before in the dead of winter, battling the snow and wind on a high mountain ridge for the sheer challenge and love of solitude.  His enthusiasm was sort of contagious.  The way he spoke about rock climbing painted it as a mental exercise of will and courage, and after giving it a shot I'd have to say that that is a pretty apt description.  I had never tried it before, but it is definitely a sport that requires 100% focus and constantly redefining your limits.  There are some moves that there is no easy way to make and it forces you to reach a little farther (and sometimes a lot farther) than you thought you could.  If you lose focus even for a moment, you'll slip have to start over.  If you do it right, it's an addictive feeling.

Let's face it, breaking into pre-existing social circles can be tough, if not near impossible.  Even if you can manage getting your foot in the door, finding someone who shares a similar interest or passion can be rare, and making lasting connections is like panning for gold.  While I can't say for sure if any connections I made last weekend will stand the test of time, it was nice getting out there and sharing something with new people.  Meetup.com has turned out to be an awesome opportunity to connect with people and I'll definitely be attending more events in the weeks to come.