Lily Pad, Party of One?: Time to Join Something

One of the best ways to find out what like-minded individuals do in a new city is to find some like-minds. I began my hunt for places to go and people to meet there searching for groups and organizations geared toward the young professionals in my city. The local chapter of my alma mater's alumna association and Google were the first places I began my search. Most Colleges and Universities have local chapters of their alumni association and or booster groups that can be easily accessed through the school's website or with a phone call to the school's Office of Alumni Affairs.

After obtaining an email address for the local chapter of the alumna association, I reached out with a friendly but brief email stating my graduation year and that I was new to the area and would like to get involved. I hope you have more luck with this option than I did, because after a couple emails to the local chapter and one to a neighboring chapter within a few months time and an email to the Office of Alumnae Affairs I have yet to link up with or receive a return email for my fellow alum. *side eye* (Note: I wont mention the name of my beloved alma mater as I refuse to besmirch her good name.)
My Google search for 'Young Professionals-Orlando' yielded a number of promising leads and one gem I thought would be a real winner, Metropolitan Orlando Urban League Young Professionals (MOULYP). The Urban League Young Professionals functions within the Urban League Guild and can be found in a city near you with 100 affiliates nationwide. Geared toward young professionals ages 21-40, there are lots of people to interact with and learn from. The National ULYP initiatives include Economic Empowerment, Education & Youth Empowerment, Civic Engagement & Leadership Empowerment, Health & Quality of Life Empowerment and Civil Rights & Racial Justice Empowerment. These initiatives are fulfilled through the membership body and local communities.

I attended a few meetings and thought it would be a good place to begin my professional networking and friend meeting in Orlando so I forked over the $60 annual membership fee and now I'm beginning the journey. Although travel kept me from attended the two social functions they recently had I'm not planning on missing the next one and I participated in a community service events they sponsored. If you don’t think the ULYP is for you, many of your favorite and most well-known civic organizations have special groups and programs geared toward reaching the young professional; these organizations provide the best of both worlds, professional development and networking and socializing.
One final option is meetup.com. I was recently introduced to this site so my knowledge and experience is limited. The site is quite easy to navigate once you sign up for a free meetup.com account. Simply sign in, input your location and a particular interest or activity (if you choose). The Meet Up groups get together at least once each month, some groups meet at the same place each time , while others have activities that lead them to a different meeting place each time. I have met up yet, but I've found some groups that pique my interest so I'm planning to "meet up" in April.
I hope these resources will help you find a place to belong in your city. Life without the 'homegirl crutch' (see: Lily Pad Party of One?) can be difficult at first but it will get better…I hope. Good luck and happy socializing!