weekly {five} - dec. 15
a different take on the weekly five to end off the year
welcome back to the weekly {five} — a little something to end your weekend (or start your week) & stay in the loop for all things five o’clock fridays!
this is the last weekly five of the year so i figured i’d do my top 5 learnings from 4 (!!!) months of five o’clock fridays!
but — before i go off on random tangents — i want to say thank you to the following groups:
everyone who originally encouraged me to bring this idea to life! (bwt 👀)
everyone who came to an event (or multiple!!!) — genuinely obsessed with you 🫶🏾
everyone who has read this little thing every week — yes, i see you & yes, i appreciate you
everyone who has taken the initiative to connect with people outside of five o’clock friday events (because that’s the whole point!!! yay friends!!!)
i can’t say thank you enough 🥹🫶🏾✨
1. 4 months, 8 events, 50 people !
transparently, did i expect to do more? yes, but instead of being disappointed that i didn’t attain some made up goal that i never was specific about (max virgo vibes but also ty therapy), i’m grateful that i even made this thing come to life.
as someone with a lot of random ideas, i’m glad that i followed through on this random thought turned reddit post turned 8 (!!!) events!
i truly had so much fun at each event, enjoyed the opportunity to create space for people to connect, and accomplished the true goal of feeling like any day can really feel like five o’clock on fridays — and how could i possibly be disappointed in that?
2. some of ya’ll will find any excuse to not show up for yourself 👀
maybe a little bit harsh but i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, some of ya’ll really like being invited to things but haven’t taken the initiative to show up
it’s a very intentional thing to identify a need or desire to expand your circle, connect with new people, & seek out ways to do this — so, i say this with love (& as a direct quote from my therapist), you’re only selling yourself short if you continue to find any excuse to not show up.
regardless, the space will always be there for whenever you’re willing to show up (for the a1 vibes and also for yourself 🫶🏾)
3. the older we get, the more we overcomplicate the simplest things
throughout these events, i couldn’t help but think about what it’s like to make friends as an adult vs. as a kid.
as a kid, it’s literally time and place — and maybe a common hobby — & you’re off to the races with a new friend.
as an adult, it’s feeling self conscious, wondering how you’ll be perceived, wondering whether you’ll be able to connect with strangers, wondering whether it’s odd to even have this desire to make new friends at whatever age you are.
these past few months have definitely proved that leaning in to the time and a place opportunity can only serve to benefit you.
there’s basically 0% chance i would have met any of the people who have attended these events any other way — yet the ability to find common ground, connect on things that are way more meaningful than where you’re from and what you do, and to build genuine friendships really takes me back to the open mindedness & freedom of being a kid — and how could you not love that.
4. "doing the same thing and expecting different results" = insanity
as someone who has spent months complaining about being bored — starting five o’clock fridays served as an opportunity to change up my routines & woah has it been a valuable experience. my key takeaways are:
consistently doing non work things during the week is actually so fun
there’s value in doing things that you’re not necessarily good at/comfortable with (@ anyone who saw my cherry bowl 👀)
we all need to lean into saying “why not” way more often in life
5. planning events for a bunch of strangers is quite difficult
honestly, when i started this, the plan was to plan more significant events (eg. pottery classes, perfume making classes, friend speed dating, hosting happy hours, etc) & quickly had to learn to scale back (at least for now) because planning for a group of strangers is no easy feat.
where people are willing to go, what they are willing to spend money on, how much money they are willing to spend, what time/day — the list of variables is literally endless & accounting for those variables isn’t for the weak hearted.
at first i was nervous no one would show up but now i know that people will show up (& show up multiple times — truly obsessed with ya’ll 🥹) — the big question is how do i create bigger and better spaces for people to connect in 2025? how do i make more people feel comfortable enough to put themselves out there?
so while i ponder these questions (& more!!!) over the next few weeks — don’t forget to fill out these interest forms (if you haven’t already):
pasta making class (~$60) — includes class & 3 course pre fixe dinner
friend speed dating (~$40) — includes snacks & a1 vibes
game night (~$40) — includes snacks & a1 vibes
dinner res (~$35)
friendly reminder that costs always directly cover the event (eg. renting out space, securing a res, towards your meal) or go towards tip!
if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, fun stories — please share!
xx
sandra