this is what happens when you start saying yes to things (aka why i love scattegories)

tonight i had a really great night.

let's back up a minute. i believe there was a point in my life where the idea of spending an evening with mostly strangers would have felt really really uncomfortable. i probably wouldn't have done it, and would instead have stayed home and watched a bad movie on demand.

i am happy to report that i no longer feel the need to isolate at home with my on-demand remote.
remember when i went speed dating and made a new (girl) friend? she was, in fact, the only thing that has come out of speed dating thus far (besides a good story). this new friend-- is paula.

paula is from south carolina and lives/works in DC for the forestry service. she's here on a 3 month assignment working in the philly area. and she's awesome. i'm not just saying that because we are very similar and said (more than once) the first time we hung out that it seemed like we were the same person, or at the very least have led similar lives at varying points. (side note: i love finding people who i've led parallel lives with- my friend kate up in boston is another one. there's an immediate camaraderie that is really comforting upon making this discovery).
so paula and i went out for cheesesteaks last week (her first! my...well, not first). and spent hours talking and laughing. it was awesome. 
sadly, she's moving back to DC at the end of the week. but tonight she invited me to hang out with her and some of her friends! paula is the type of person who likes all of her friends to know each other and hang out. she's brings people together, if you will. i am not like this- in fact, i really wish i were better at this. mostly i keep people separated and it's unfortunate.

anyway, i was invited along to meet...paula's other friends! having really only hung out with her all of once. and i didn't even think about saying no. she is great, it's a safe assumption her friends are great too. and to top it off she asked me for restaurant suggestions so i got to steer us to Sabrina's- one of my favorite restaurants in philly.

when i got there (running late, as per usual) i knew i was gonna be fine. one of paula's roommates was there- a girl named karen. karen looks like my sister's friend juliana, so i felt oddly comfortable around her from the start. and the more she spoke, the more i felt 'she is my kind of person' (actually i think my exact thought was 'she is one of my people' but that just sounds kind of weird). but anyway, she is awesome- and i want to be her friend. she's finishing her masters in landscape architecture- which is TOTALLY COOL and i talked to her about it and was immediately jealous because i think anything having to do with any kind of architecture is amazing and i wish i had the skills to go into that field. in fact, i've decided i'd really like to marry an architect, so if you know of any single, normal, funny (and tall) architects, please send them my way. (thanks in advance).

after dinner we went back to their house for wine, dessert and board games!! seriously- its like i was made to hang out with these people. and hello- their house is Gorgeous. you know, since leaving penn i hardly ever go over to west philly, but honestly there are some absolutely amazing houses there. i want one. with a porch and fun light fixtures and bathtubs with claws. i. want. one. the tour of the house was me walking around going 'oh my god this room is amazing', x12. seriously though, the bedrooms had things like bay windows and sun rooms/offices and balconies. it was making me drool.

we sat, we ate cake off communal plates, we listened to fun music. and oh yes i bought new rain boots online! paula showed me these new 'earth boots' she recently bought- earth boots have low heels- they are lower than the rest of the foot, so apparently are good for your back and help your calf muscles. really though, they look comfy and are lined and she said she bought them on sale....she had me at the sale. i went right downstairs and her friend sara helped me decide on the color. so now, in 5-10 business days i have a pair of WHITE, patent pleather fleecy lined earth rain boots arriving at my apartment. and instead of looking like an overly large kindergartner every time it rains i will now look like...a go go dancer. which, if you try and put a positive spin on it, is really a step up.

we sat in their amazing living room in front of their fire, with tea lights around it, eating cake and talking and playing scattegories!!!! which is really one of the greatest games. i think i may need to own it and inflict it on more people when they come over. i also think it's a pretty good way to get to know new people. it doesn't require a huge amount of skill, and you can get to know the way people think, or the things you may have in common, or how weird their brain works. and you also learn who is a stickler for the rules and who is not. which always makes me laugh.

so. moral of my night: let doors open. make new friends. don't be shy. always say yes to scattegories. you may end up eating carrot cake in front of a fire in a gorgeous house with funny people. if you're lucky.