I always used to think these people have way too much time on their hands, who can fit in that many catch ups all of a sudden?! I did used to enjoy lunch invitations though as at least there would be nice food!
Right? Lunch invitations are definitely better because at some point you have to eat and you can squeeze them into your day a bit more easily. And usually it's a small group of people so you can hide a bit and the conversation can carry on without you 😂
Yes plus December means it’s acceptable to have a few glasses of wine over lunch so you’re more relaxed already plus a good excuse to keep the afternoon meeting free to recover 😂😂
Wildly relatable! Also coming from a culture where the socialising catharsis happens from the last days of December to mid-January, these meet-ups in December are a nightmare. I come home and want to slide out of this heavy extrovert skin as quickly as possible and forget the performative crap, not plan more of it.
As an introvert, Business Development was the hardest thing I’ve ever worked in in my life. You are super woman for mastering it.
“These invitations to catch up.. often come from people you don’t have any valid reason, or genuine interest, to catch up with” - absolutely
Doing business development, cold outreach and any form of networking when it's so against one's true nature is not talked about enough 😂
And yes, it's that build up of socialising that perhaps is so triggering in December when I know I won't have a moment to myself come the trip back home as there are people who can't genuinely see me otherwise.
ALL OF THESE!! I need to write them down somewhere because these sentences are just so perfect:
"you’re one “All I Want for Christmas is You” away from losing your shit belong into the tenth circle of hell"
"But Cristina, how are we supposed to make friends as adults when most of us only meet new people through work? Honestly, that’s not my problem."
"So here I am, trapped into an idealised version of myself I have contributed to create when all I ever wanted was to afford paying the bills"
"Some of us, on the other hand, prefer to mislead people into thinking we are a much better version of ourselves than we actually are as a way of coping with the existential dread"
"Where are the strict societal norms and restrictions of Victorian England when you most need them? This used to be a serious country"
'I will be hibernating outside of working hours' sounds like a reasonable excuse to me, Cristina! Seriously, really well-articulated. I hope you get as many pyjama hours as you like over the next couple of weeks and fend off the nascent friendships.
I prefer the way you've phrased it, Wendy, sounds more official and less debatable 😂 I was speaking the friend mentioned here as she's read this piece and her feedback has been, "If people want to meet in December, why don't they start sending invitations in September so I can plan ahead?" She's not wrong...
I always used to think these people have way too much time on their hands, who can fit in that many catch ups all of a sudden?! I did used to enjoy lunch invitations though as at least there would be nice food!
Right? Lunch invitations are definitely better because at some point you have to eat and you can squeeze them into your day a bit more easily. And usually it's a small group of people so you can hide a bit and the conversation can carry on without you 😂
Yes plus December means it’s acceptable to have a few glasses of wine over lunch so you’re more relaxed already plus a good excuse to keep the afternoon meeting free to recover 😂😂
You've reminded me of that infamous drinks with OC... that was an exceptionally fun one, probably because it wasn't before Christmas
That draft email is harsh...! (Made me laugh, though.)
As the saying goes "desperate situations call for desperate measures" 😅
Wildly relatable! Also coming from a culture where the socialising catharsis happens from the last days of December to mid-January, these meet-ups in December are a nightmare. I come home and want to slide out of this heavy extrovert skin as quickly as possible and forget the performative crap, not plan more of it.
As an introvert, Business Development was the hardest thing I’ve ever worked in in my life. You are super woman for mastering it.
“These invitations to catch up.. often come from people you don’t have any valid reason, or genuine interest, to catch up with” - absolutely
Doing business development, cold outreach and any form of networking when it's so against one's true nature is not talked about enough 😂
And yes, it's that build up of socialising that perhaps is so triggering in December when I know I won't have a moment to myself come the trip back home as there are people who can't genuinely see me otherwise.
Good luck with your holiday season!
The thought of cold calls still makes me break out in cold sweat.
You too - bon courage! Hope you find little islands of respite in this crazy season, God knows us introverts need them.
ALL OF THESE!! I need to write them down somewhere because these sentences are just so perfect:
"you’re one “All I Want for Christmas is You” away from losing your shit belong into the tenth circle of hell"
"But Cristina, how are we supposed to make friends as adults when most of us only meet new people through work? Honestly, that’s not my problem."
"So here I am, trapped into an idealised version of myself I have contributed to create when all I ever wanted was to afford paying the bills"
"Some of us, on the other hand, prefer to mislead people into thinking we are a much better version of ourselves than we actually are as a way of coping with the existential dread"
"Where are the strict societal norms and restrictions of Victorian England when you most need them? This used to be a serious country"
As you can see this is a topic very close to my heart, I am glad to see it has transpired in the writing 😂😂😂
I HAD to save it on sublime. I need to get back to this next year XD
Excellent, I hope to release new excuses for 2025 ;-)
please do ! XD very useful email templates
Will do my best then
Best to feign illness I say! Lots of laugh out loud snippets in this Cristina (as introverts that TOTALLY relate). Loved it.
May the force be with us this holiday season 😂
'I will be hibernating outside of working hours' sounds like a reasonable excuse to me, Cristina! Seriously, really well-articulated. I hope you get as many pyjama hours as you like over the next couple of weeks and fend off the nascent friendships.
I prefer the way you've phrased it, Wendy, sounds more official and less debatable 😂 I was speaking the friend mentioned here as she's read this piece and her feedback has been, "If people want to meet in December, why don't they start sending invitations in September so I can plan ahead?" She's not wrong...
Resting Winter Period! Love it.
'tis the season to be hibernating 😅
Thank you, introverts will prevail (in hiding from everyone until the spring)