Where do you meet friends as an adult/entrepreneur/business traveler?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SFO/JFK/ORD/BOS
Posts: 1
Where do you meet friends as an adult/entrepreneur/business traveler?
Okay, I know this thread looks out of place but I figured it's relevant to many people in this community. Where do you guys find friends, especially if you are constantly on business travel?
To furnish some context: by some twist of fate, I took a leave of absence from college and became materially secure in a short amount of time. However, it's my regret that I didn't complete college because I don't have many friends now.
I'd like to turn my social life around but:
1 MO/FS/RC don't feel exactly like great places to mix with people. I'm not fond of bars or clubs either, so I have limited exposure to other people when I'm on a business trip.
2. I find it difficult to do this through my work as I have to maintain some professional decorum with my employees and business associates.
3. I've grown a defensive reflex to lie or obscure details about my personal life when I meet new people. When things started to take off for me, several distant relatives and old classmates suddenly began to ingratiate themselves with me in hopes of favors, and I've come to value relationships that aren't conditional on my income. Besides this, I'm still in my 20s and many of my peers haven't had their luck of the financial draw yet, so I don't want to come across as immodest by talking about experiences that they might not have had the means or opportunity to go through. But a downside of maintaining a low profile is that - and maybe this is just because I lack conversational tact - people seem to be uninterested to know me.
Advice for me aside, how do you guys meet friends?
To furnish some context: by some twist of fate, I took a leave of absence from college and became materially secure in a short amount of time. However, it's my regret that I didn't complete college because I don't have many friends now.
I'd like to turn my social life around but:
1 MO/FS/RC don't feel exactly like great places to mix with people. I'm not fond of bars or clubs either, so I have limited exposure to other people when I'm on a business trip.
2. I find it difficult to do this through my work as I have to maintain some professional decorum with my employees and business associates.
3. I've grown a defensive reflex to lie or obscure details about my personal life when I meet new people. When things started to take off for me, several distant relatives and old classmates suddenly began to ingratiate themselves with me in hopes of favors, and I've come to value relationships that aren't conditional on my income. Besides this, I'm still in my 20s and many of my peers haven't had their luck of the financial draw yet, so I don't want to come across as immodest by talking about experiences that they might not have had the means or opportunity to go through. But a downside of maintaining a low profile is that - and maybe this is just because I lack conversational tact - people seem to be uninterested to know me.
Advice for me aside, how do you guys meet friends?
#2
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Programs: AA P4L, WN, BA, DL, UA, HHonors, IHG
Posts: 3,485
Welcome to FT, spinning_strings!
I wonder if you might want to return to college to get your degree(s)? Many people who have a degree tend to look down upon those who don't, and those judgmental people include some that you would like to be friends with...oops, you said "advice aside," and that's what this is.
I wonder if you might want to return to college to get your degree(s)? Many people who have a degree tend to look down upon those who don't, and those judgmental people include some that you would like to be friends with...oops, you said "advice aside," and that's what this is.
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,156
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Seriously, join in, go to a few of our events (called "dos"), you'll meet a bunch of friendly and interesting people.
They do???
Last edited by Calchas; Nov 14, 2016 at 6:11 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 9
Okay, I know this thread looks out of place but I figured it's relevant to many people in this community. Where do you guys find friends, especially if you are constantly on business travel?
To furnish some context: by some twist of fate, I took a leave of absence from college and became materially secure in a short amount of time. However, it's my regret that I didn't complete college because I don't have many friends now.
I'd like to turn my social life around but:
1 MO/FS/RC don't feel exactly like great places to mix with people. I'm not fond of bars or clubs either, so I have limited exposure to other people when I'm on a business trip.
2. I find it difficult to do this through my work as I have to maintain some professional decorum with my employees and business associates.
3. I've grown a defensive reflex to lie or obscure details about my personal life when I meet new people. When things started to take off for me, several distant relatives and old classmates suddenly began to ingratiate themselves with me in hopes of favors, and I've come to value relationships that aren't conditional on my income. Besides this, I'm still in my 20s and many of my peers haven't had their luck of the financial draw yet, so I don't want to come across as immodest by talking about experiences that they might not have had the means or opportunity to go through. But a downside of maintaining a low profile is that - and maybe this is just because I lack conversational tact - people seem to be uninterested to know me.
Advice for me aside, how do you guys meet friends?
To furnish some context: by some twist of fate, I took a leave of absence from college and became materially secure in a short amount of time. However, it's my regret that I didn't complete college because I don't have many friends now.
I'd like to turn my social life around but:
1 MO/FS/RC don't feel exactly like great places to mix with people. I'm not fond of bars or clubs either, so I have limited exposure to other people when I'm on a business trip.
2. I find it difficult to do this through my work as I have to maintain some professional decorum with my employees and business associates.
3. I've grown a defensive reflex to lie or obscure details about my personal life when I meet new people. When things started to take off for me, several distant relatives and old classmates suddenly began to ingratiate themselves with me in hopes of favors, and I've come to value relationships that aren't conditional on my income. Besides this, I'm still in my 20s and many of my peers haven't had their luck of the financial draw yet, so I don't want to come across as immodest by talking about experiences that they might not have had the means or opportunity to go through. But a downside of maintaining a low profile is that - and maybe this is just because I lack conversational tact - people seem to be uninterested to know me.
Advice for me aside, how do you guys meet friends?
#6
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,723
FT DOs are great places to meet interesting people from a wide variety of places and backgrounds.
#7
Moderator: CommunityBuzz!, OMNI, OMNI/PR, and OMNI/Games & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ORD (MDW stinks)
Programs: UAMM, AAMM & ExPlat, Marriott lifetime Plat, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 23,523
OMNI is the catch all forum for all things non-travel related. (OMNI PR is specifically for politics, religion and off color discussions)
CommunityBuzz is to discuss Flyertalk members getting together/meeting (a "Do").
Closing this thread.
Thank you,
Willie
co mod CommunityBuzz forums
Last edited by Sweet Willie; Nov 17, 2016 at 6:26 am