By my reckoning, I think I’m doing find in
the connecting/social department. Or simply, making new friends. But, without
giving myself too much credit, I’ve finally a group where I can be make new friends,
be my-freaking-self, and do what I love with like-minded people. I’m feeling
pretty good. Not “King of the World”, but pretty good. As I mentioned, I’ve finally
found a way to connect with people with the help of MeetUp. Thank God for
MeetUp. The site was specifically created for people to connect with other
people with similar and shared interests, so it’s especially useful for people
like me in my situation. I knew when I found out about it and created my
account that it was going to be a very useful tool in my arsenal. The site had
tons of groups for me to choose, so I figured that I would narrow it down to,
at least, five groups I would join. I was right in this. Turns out that I found
exactly five groups that peaked my interests.
My first meetup was to be for a group
called ‘Get Out & Shoot Toronto!’ I chose this first because it was a
photography group with amateur and semi-professional photographers that went
all around Toronto and Ontario, giving me the opportunity to connect with my
kind of people and explore Toronto with them. Also they were the only photography
group that was less of a semi-professional class and more of a casual social
group. Plus, the other groups would cost me some dough. That wasn’t going to
work out, but it meant that the group I finally joined was the only one for me.
I considered putting things I had planned for today on the back burner to
attend my first meeting for the group. So I made my way to my first meet up in
Chinatown. Which I actually got there in 15 mins since I lived five minutes by
foot from the 510 streetcar which goes up Spadina. It wasn’t much of a strain
to get there. Things got interesting from there. I reached the rendezvous on
Spadina/Dundas; it was not quite the spot I would pick to meet up, mainly
because it was just absolutely bustling as it always is in Chinatown. I then
started to meet the various members that would come to the spot slowly,
one-by-one. Thirty minutes later, and after meeting the members and introducing
each other, the organizers Adam and Kurt showed up and we finally got the show
on the road. So, again, I was finally in a meet up group, I am surrounded with
like-minded people, I got to do what I loved with them, and I got to explore a
part of Toronto with people and not by myself. This was a great sign. Today, my
luck was starting to look a little bit more positive. After two months of
struggling in a new city and country, I’ve found a place to live in and I’ve
made new friends whom I could see myself hanging out with for the rest of my
days here. For once, I didn’t feel as lost as I did when I first arrived. I
started to know exactly where I was. I’m in the right place, as a matter of
fact. I’m finally feeling I am a part of a Torontonian community. Tomorrow, I
can wake up with another great feeling to feel happy about. I’m in a good place
despite the fact that it could be better. Now my next tasks, as usual, are to:
continue looking for jobs and attend any more meet ups. I better get going!
Also, see Chapters 17 and 19.
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