Weighing my options, I scrapped my usual Friday night routine of after work yoga followed by beer drinking with my married neighbors. So there I was, perched at a table built long and low for third grade birthday parties, as I gripped my plastic mug of beer and observed the chaos and family dynamics. Faced with this familiar inner conflict now symbolized by an Italian father figure, I figured it was high time to get out of my personal rut and stop complaining about being an underrepresented demographic in Corvallis—post-college but not settled down and bringing up kids through the school system.
I resolved to stop socializing only within a four-block radius in downtown, the epicenter of all things Corvallis, and decided to explore some ways to meet people that would get me out in the community and out of my rut. I considered starting with something adventurous and romantic, the Tango. Sexy, sultry, and heels are mandatory—how can you sign up for tango lessons and not expect to meet people? However, after a session of over-thinking the matter, I realized that sexy is as sexy does, which led me to friendlier pastures with the Corvallis Swing Dance Society.
I asked lead coordinator Jeffrey Anderson how swing dancing pans out as a casual way to meet people. Anderson described swing as one of the most non-threatening social experiences, specifically comparing it to a more serious endeavor like Tango. You can sign up for a swing dancing course that follows the OSU schedule, or get enough of the fundamentals for a fun evening by attending an hour-long lesson offered before weekly social dances.
Next I spoke with a group formed specifically for the post-college crowd, the Corvallis Young Pros. Just to be clear, Young Pros board member Melissa Jones wants people to know this group of professional networkers is not singles-only.
The free, open to everyone events are typically held the 4th Tuesday of each month at a local spotlighted businesses. Expect drink specials, happy hour snacks and lots of introductions. Finally, in my effort to propel myself out of my rut, I considered the social aspect of organized sports. My fears of exposing lifelong hand-eye coordination struggles were mollified by the folks at the Corvallis Sports Park, who facilitate friendly, non-competitive coed soccer leagues that play every weekend.
