I put my name down awhile back to attend this social event by one of my favourite people. She gathers together the very best group of people and other than it being an actual delight to be in her company, it’s always pretty great to be surrounded by a bunch of other cool people.

I’ve been to this thing once before and because it’s semi-regular, I had intended to go earlier in the year but had to cancel for personal reasons. Again, when she announced this event I was so excited to put my name down and to see everyone. …but by the time it actually came around, I wasn’t really feeling it. On the day of, I did actually think about messaging her with some bullshit excuse about why I couldn’t make it again. It’s part of this ‘rut’ I think I’m in. No energy for things like socialising.

But in the end I decided to go. And I really had a great time. And it really inspired me too. I’ve got a whole string of posts coming up about different aspects of it.

But for this first post, I feel like my heart is just ridiculously full and grateful for the amount of awesome women I’ve met during this whole foray into casual sex and dating. The organiser of this event? I love her. She’s a ray of sunshine and she impresses me often for her positivity, how she knows everyone, how she brings people together and how gets people talking, even utter strangers. She’s a treat.

But when I got there, after saying hello to her, there was just a stream of amazing women that I said hello to. There was a single woman who had reached out to be party buddies together who absolutely bounded over with a smile and a hug. There was a quieter woman who felt just on that edge of socially awkward that still pushed herself to carry her half of the conversation. Women who I’d met at previous events that remembered my name, that were happy to see me.

There was the woman in a couple who told me that because we’d met at their first event and had talked for awhile that I ‘made’ that first event special so they have a soft spot for me. She’s sexy as hell so I’ll take that. There were women there that I met who I have in group chats that have been lovely and supportive and who I loved being able to meet in person.

I feel like so much of my blog is about men. That I’m getting to know, that I’m going on dates with, that I’m having sex with. Men that I’ve met where it hasn’t worked out. But I don’t talk enough about the amazing friendships I’ve made with women. And going to this social event just reminded me how wonderful it feels to be part of this circle of amazing women.