appearance by Emily Curl.
As a wise man probably once said, doing things is a whole lot harder than not doing them. Canceled plans are one of life’s great highs. And while we often do enjoy our extracurricular activities, it can be a push to follow through on the plans we make. That’s why Refinery29’s Emily Curl spent five days carrying out what she calls “social boot camp” — a week devoted to pushing herself to connect with vague acquaintances, reforge bonds with old friends, and tackle new outings in the city.
To start, Emily began with a low-lift social excursion: midday coffee with a coworker she'd been meaning to catch up with. Next, she moved on to asking an R29 acquaintance, whom she’d not-so-secretly admired from afar for months, out to lunch. Later, she caught up with a friend via video chat (with no added fees, thanks to her $40 Visible phone plan with unlimited data, messages, and minutes), before heading out for a big night in Manhattan with friends from her hometown in Georgia.
In the age of written communication (think: DMs, dating apps, etc.), face-to-face communication can be intimidating. But as Emily learned, this is the thing that make us feel most connected to the people who matter most to us. Watch the video above to see if she can handle all the small talk.