When I was younger, I imagined adult friendship as stopping by a glamorous gallery opening, renting a vacation home for the weekend, and staying up until 3 a.m. talking about how we were soulmates. .After all, I was just watching the way too much sex and the city.
In fact, the most common thing I do with my friends is have dinner. I love eating together, but sometimes I worry that by sticking to just dinner, I’m missing out on an opportunity to create bigger memories. Someone told me when I was young that friendship is about experiencing life together. But as we get older, we tend to spend the majority of our lives with our partners or at work and keep our friends up on what’s going on.
So I’ve been brainstorming different ways to enjoy it with friends without sharing an entree. Here are 13 activities to do against prying eyes.
1. Throw a “like” party: Invite as many friends as you can and share your own “favorite stuff” (e.g. a book again Kitchen tools) for a white elephant style gift exchange.
2. Host a movie night: Friends are gathering to watch all about beauty and blood. We ordered pizza and freshly baked cookies, and I felt like a kid at a sleepover (except when I was a kid, watching a documentary on America’s opioid crisis at all). Did you know?) maybe i should have).
3. Become a tourist in your own city: We love exploring where we live (we moved there for a reason, after all!), and many cities offer excellent free walking tours.If you’re in NYC, I highly recommend you check it outMore Free Tour by Foots Harlem Walking Tours.
Four. Create your own gourmet tour: You can even pick a new neighborhood to find the best restaurants to try, or just hang around the places that pique your interest.A friend and I did this in Flushing, Queens and it was So wonderful. Be prepared to unzip your jeans by the time you catch the subway home.
Five. Turn off lights for slideshow: Everyone is ready to make a presentation on their chosen topic. At one venue I went to, someone showed off another attendee’s 10-year-old prom outfit, which led to a top-notch roast.
6. Plan a progressive dinner: All host a one-course meal in their homes. This is much easier than having one person provide appetizers, main courses, sides and desserts all by themselves.
7. Start a Podcast Club: have you heard normal gossip?Me and my friends are hooked and email each Wednesday discussing the latest episodes.? If you live in the same area, keep an eye out for live shows from your favorite podcasts. (again, normal gossip is touring this summer, and my mention of it officially makes it the most sponsored and unsponsored offer on the list. )
8. Participate in storytelling events: moth We host amazing storytelling shows all over the country. And local bookstores often pick up authors when new books come out (in New York, I always keep an eye on what’s going on at bookstores). The Bell House, caveat, green light bookstore, powerhouse arenaand books are magic).
9. Host a contest: One December my friends and I held a gingerbread house contest. Confusion ensued, including an attempted coup, because one of the other teams was using ingredients not included in the gingerbread kit. how messed up is that? Despite the drama, we still joke about it.
Ten. Find a bridge and walk across it. Skip the skyline dinner and explore the real skyline while crossing the bridge with friends. We had some of the best conversations in this environment. Any bridge is fine!
11. Listen to music outside: Check out local parks and music venues to see what’s on offer this summer (lincoln center and Celebrate BRICs Brooklyn! There are often good events).
12. Join amateur sports leagues: Many sports do not require representative levels of athletic ability (e.g. Petanque and shuffleboard).
13. Plan your vacation together: Just going to a new place is exciting, even if it’s just a short train ride or out of town. Spend your weekends in a motel or Airbnb, or go camping. I don’t camp (I’m the one screaming about mosquitoes), but I have a lot of friends who do, and they seem to be coming back closer than ever.
what about you? How did you and your friends get creative with the time you spent together?
Emily Kring Writer based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Points in Case, The Belladonna Comedy, and other humor publications. Emily is often late, but she rarely dresses up.You can find more of her writings by visiting her website or by following her Instagram.
Postscript: 14 more things to do with friends (other than dinner). Do you hug and kiss your friends?
(Picture from someone somewhere.)
