Happy Saturday! If you are on the Pacific Coast, you may have heard, signed up, or planned on signing up for the meet up we have coming up in February! If you're anything like me, you may have anxiety about meeting new people, putting yourself out there, and the unknown of a meet up. I have been to 5 meet ups (two of which were in TPT Vegas), and have always been SUPER nervous and considered not going on occasion, for fear of the whole social aspect. Now that I am helping with the planning of an event, I know there are people coming who may have social anxiety just talking about it. As the resident introvert of the planning committee, I wanted to share my top four tips to maximizing and ENJOYING the event in the best way.
This was KEY for me. I was originally planning on taking Sarah with me to my very first meet up. She is my outgoing, friendly, energetic friend. And she pushes me to tiptoe/bust out of my comfort zone. That first meet up, I ended up having to go alone (poor Sarah had broken her ankle in Ecuador and was a no-go). More on that later. In Vegas, I was thrilled to have her with me, even if she did (literally) throw me in front of Deanna Jump saying "SHE IS YOUR BIGGEST FAN!" Hey, would I have met her without her doing it? Probably not. Thanks, Sarah.
These pictures ONLY happened with prodding from Sarah....
This is hard for me. Like, REALLY hard. I like to plan. I like to know what I am jumping into. But, sometimes, fun also happens in spontaneity. Make plans to be okay with the host's plans. When you make a new friend, and they want to go do something after the event, get your new friends together and do it! Happy Hour, here we come!!
Use the event hashtags, find the Facebook groups, spread the word that you are attending. Chances are, there are others who are attending who are JUST as nervous as you. This is a way to make a friend ahead of time, in case you can't do #1. Ask around to see if anyone else is needing a roommate, knows of good spots in case you arrive early, etc. This is a great way to get the conversation going prior to the event.
I, personally, have NEVER regretted going to teacher meetups. Teachers are a special breed, and really do value meeting other educators. People are at this event to be friendly and meet/make friends. When you walk in, take a deep breath and smile. You've got this!!!
If you are looking to attend our meetup in Sacramento, we have a few spots available still. Click this link to find the original post.
Great tips from a fellow introvert! See ya there!
ReplyDelete~Laura
Luv My Kinders
I can't wait to see you again! :)
DeleteGood tips! I hemmed and hawed about sending my money in for this event. I am so glad I did! I know this is going to be a great experience for all!
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