For some reason, I always hang out with my friends over meals. I’m a huge foodie, so that’s not really super surprising, but I realize that it’s gotten super boring to always chat over tacos and margaritas no matter how insanely good they are. I’ve recently been trying to figure out how to mix it up because life is too short to keep doing the same things over and over again. I figured I’d share the ideas that I’ve come up with—mostly things I’ve done recently and some I’d like to do soon! I’m going to be ballin’ on a budget for awhile so I figured that I would keep all my ideas under $20 since that’s what a good meal and cocktail can cost. Let’s go let’s go let’s go!
Side note: Who’s pumped for new content? I know I am. I’m pouring through the post ideas I came up with in January, but I want to make sure that the change in my content from being college life heavy to more life and style content is still enjoyable for all of you. I’m really trying to figure out how to incorporate style, travel, and photography content here so that it’s still helpful for all of you. You all always have the best ideas and I’m always ready to give the people what they want!
Okay, back to today’s scheduled content.
1. TRIVIA
The first night of my quick trip to Charleston was spent playing trivia in a bar on Sullivan’s Island on a Tuesday night. It was such a cool way to wind down after a long-ish trip from Chapel Hill. In Chapel Hill, there are so many places to catch a quick game of trivia and a lot of them have prizes. I’ve been trying to pay attention to menus and bulletin boards in local restaurants and almost all of them have fun events throughout the week like trivia, open mics, and karaoke. This is a great way to engage with a group and keep diverse conversation topics flowing. **Shout out to Rachel for inspiring this suggestion; in a similar vein, check out her phenomenal guide to online dating here.**
2. TASTINGS
Another Charleston-inspired suggestion brings me to my second suggestion: tastings. Whether it’s cheese, chocolate, or wine; tastings are so much fun. We went to the Savannah Bee Company for a mead tasting and it was SO fun. It made for a very fun pre-dinner stop and it wasn’t too expensive ($10). Wineries, breweries, and bakeries have some pretty cool tours and tasting options that you can check out in groups. I don’t actually know what made it so fun; maybe it was watching my male friends pretend to be mead connoisseurs. Yeah, that was definitely it.
3. POP UP SHOPS
Back in October, I got invited to my first event as “press”. It was pretty laid back, but it was so fun to bring a friend along to window shop the cute local boutiques. I found some pretty fun stores that I wouldn’t mind revisiting in the future. Grab your girlfriends and head out to fun events like The Girl Tribe Pop Up.
4. FARMER’S MARKETS
This is especially fun when the market is huge like the one in Richmond. I was here a couple weeks ago and we were so surprised to see how large and crowded this market was. We got a ton of free samples and met a lot of local shop owners which was a ton of fun. And the dogs…. there are so many dogs at farmer’s market. Ultimately, this was nice for people and dog watching. And if there are Mennonites making donuts, get in the long line immediately.
5. GET ONE WITH NATURE.
One of my favorite things to do is strolling through the park or grabbing a quick sweet treat and chatting with a friend on a quaint little bench or table. I’m luckily moving to a city where the parks are state of the art and literally iconic. But, I like to do this in Chapel Hill and when I’m home in Virginia. There are so many state and city parks that are great for picnics or quick sunset walks. You can also go rock climbing or biking if that’s what you’re in to.
6. EVERYTHING CREATIVE.
Y’all know I love a good photoshoot, so grab your cameras and head to your nearest art district or mural for a mini photo extravaganza. Extra points if you whip out a Polaroid camera. You can also pop into a ceramic shop or wine & design studio for more chances to flex your inner artist ability. You can check Groupon for deals on these sort of activities.
7. FESTIVALS & FAIRS
Raleigh has Brewgaloo and Chapel Hill has Food Truck Rodeos; you can also stop in Durham for cultural festivals year round. Music has the ability to bond people, so checking out a local concert or weekend festival could be worth it. Major points if you can find a way to combine food, music, and booze.
8. MAKE THE MEAL
While going to a restaurant and ordering food can get boring, making the food will NEVER be boring. My favorite memories are probably ones that involved cooking especially when it was a larger group and everyone was assigned a task or dish. It’s a great opportunity to expose those people who somehow can afford to eat out all the time. The funny thing is 9 times out of 10 I’m on dessert duty and we all know that’s the best part.
9. COFFEE & COMEDY
My gal pal, Allie, is a killer comedy queen and I had the pleasure of watching one of her sketches a couple weeks ago. It was a blast to watch all the comedians and hanging with some of our other friends was a blast too. This a great time to wind down after a long week with a cider and tots to split. I never said food was off the table; I just said it couldn’t be front and center. We also know how obsessed I am with a good vanilla latte or iced coffee. A local coffee shop with playing cards and real mugs is the best place to chill on a Saturday afternoon.
10. A DAY ON THE ROAD
Lastly, I love exploring new cities and towns and finding all the quirky places. I know Durham can be a whole day adventure. Grab a few friends, a car, and a full tank of gas, and pick a nearby city or town to explore for the day. You can even incorporate all the things I mentioned above to populate your schedule for the day. I love road tripping up to the outlets and shops in Williamsburg or trekking a little farther up to Richmond for a switch up from my daily routine.
Running through all these fun things I’ve done with friends was such a great exercise this gloomy Friday. My tip for y’all today: take pictures. Everyone always says savor the moment; but why not be able to forever savor the moment. Pictures speak a thousand words and bring back even more memories. My phrase of 2018 is: be present. I’ve noticed that when I’m engaged and experiencing all the I can, I’m drawn to take pictures.
Keep on keepin’ on.
No shame. I saved this to my own Pinterest board for later! You can do the same by pinning the image below!
