By mid afternoon, it was clear by the mood in Suite 1105 that the employees were all anxiously awaiting the day’s post-work festivities. At 5:30PM, the 7 companies that share the Suite were to gather together for a “Know thy Neighbor” party where we could get to know the other tenants and socialize over good food and drinks. We heard rumors of games and pizza, but had no idea what to expect.
By the time the work day came to a close, all was ready for the party: the 5 different choices of pizza were complemented by an impressive lineup of beer and wine options. We all quickly grabbed our snacks and beverages and gathered around the couches to mingle. Once Ann pulled out the assortment of games she had pulled together, we knew it would be a good night.
Some chose to begin a game of Risk, others tried their hand at Jenga. Stephanie and I decided to begin our night with a friendly game of beer pong. As the two most recent college graduates in the office, our audience had high hopes for our pong abilities. Turns out, we were not able to live up to their expectations. Our audience was sorely disappointed by the lack of skill that Stephanie and I displayed for the drinking game, so we soon directed our attentions towards other party activities. By this time, Ann had set up the XBox Kinect. Ann and Micah had a blast traveling through a virtual adventure, while Meredith and Stephanie danced their hearts out in a dance battle. From my perspective, I believe it was equally as entertaining to be a spectator to these activities as it must have been for those playing them.
Meanwhile, conversations were flourishing and friendships were forming. Meredith D learned that one of the employees at Opportunity Network lives near her in Brooklyn, while Kevin spoke business strategy with the owner of Healthcare.com. Over in the game of Risk, Mike from Lawline had just lost his claim on America to Opportunity Network’s Enrica. Coincidentally, Enrica is from Italy, so this was a true foreign invasion.
Overall, I left the party feeling thoroughly entertained by the night’s activities, and more deeply embedded into the Suite 1105 community. While Lawline shares the suite with 7 other companies, it can be easy to get lost in your own routine during the work day and forget about the other awesome people around you. I am glad to have been given the opportunity to get to know not only my co-workers at Lawline, but also the other tenants we share the office with, and I am excited for more office gatherings in the future!
