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Where do you meet friends as an adult/entrepreneur/business traveler?

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Where do you meet friends as an adult/entrepreneur/business traveler?

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Old Nov 13, 2016, 5:04 am
  #1  
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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?
spinning_strings is offline  
Old Nov 13, 2016, 8:39 am
  #2  
 
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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.
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Old Nov 13, 2016, 10:37 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by Middle_Seat
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...
I certainly wouldn't want to be friends with anyone like that.
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Old Nov 14, 2016, 6:04 am
  #4  
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Originally Posted by spinning_strings
Where do you guys find friends, especially if you are constantly on business travel?
FlyerTalk.com ?

Seriously, join in, go to a few of our events (called "dos"), you'll meet a bunch of friendly and interesting people.

Originally Posted by Middle_Seat
Many people who have a degree tend to look down upon those who don't
They do???

Last edited by Calchas; Nov 14, 2016 at 6:11 am
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Old Nov 15, 2016, 8:41 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
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Originally Posted by spinning_strings
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?
Hah, trust me dude. I am in the exact same boat as you are. It doesn't help that my experiences have kind of shaped me into more of a politically right leaning individual which unfortunately many of my peers here in Boston don't sympathize with. As a result, I don't have very many friends, but the few I do have are just as motivated and are also in a similar financial situation (and I met them through the industry I work in which is internet marketing)
pauldrew00 is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2016, 11:12 am
  #6  
 
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FT DOs are great places to meet interesting people from a wide variety of places and backgrounds.
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Old Nov 15, 2016, 12:09 pm
  #7  
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Originally Posted by kirkwoodj
FT DOs are great places to meet interesting people from a wide variety of places and backgrounds.
I'd agree. As for other ideas, this really is an OMNI thread. But seeing as the OP doesn't have the 180 posts & 180 days of membership, I can't redirect this thread to OMNI.

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
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