Ever since December 2012, I’ve been a part of something pretty incredible.

See, when I moved to Philly, I moved with a partner. And then, in October, that partner was no longer in the picture. I was a full-time student and a part-time retail worker bee at Athleta (though that was short-lived… I don’t know how “cut out” I am for life in the world of performance-jeggings and sweat-wicking fabric sales) but I also felt like I had no idea what one did for “fun” in this city of Brotherly Love. Suddenly, as if sent from above, an opportunity fell into my lap. An opportunity to don the Living Social STAFF shirt and take folks in Philly on adventures around our city and suburbs.

My adventures were diverse and exhilarating:

• Wintery Winery Tour
• Brewery Winery Distillery Tour
• Shooting and Drinking (IN that order!!)
• Running of the Santas
• Beer Festival
• Sumo, Sushi, and Sake Tasting
• Beer Trolley Tour
• White Water Rafting
• River Tubing
• Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ
• Pizza Making and Beer Tasting
• Snow Tubing
• Skiing/Snowboarding (this, for me, meant sitting comfortably in the ski lodge and watching people’s stuff)

If there was a way to maintain a livelihood off of professionally laughing, joking, flirting, organizing, corralling, directing, and hanging out with people, I’d do it in a heartbeat. For anyone who knows me IRL, you know that I’ve been “Living Socially” since I was about 14 years old for FREE! This “job”, if you even want to call it that, paid me for my bliss. And it was a blissful 9 months.

In the middle of July, my world was rocked. In an incredibly abrupt and confusing fashion, my coworkers and I (around the nation) were let go, our department eliminated from the Living Social family. And, in all honesty, I was crushed.

I’m still a little crushed.

Saturday, August 3rd was the last day of my Living Social career. Luckily, I went out with a bang. A totally radical bang.

Living Social Philly’s Second Annual 80s Dance Party was a TOTALLY TUBULAR THROW DOWN!

There were some pretty incredible costumes.

That being said, I only had eyes for my coworkers.

And the band played. And we danced. And we sang. And we “worked”. And then, the band announced it was their last song.

Inevitably, it was this song.

Needless to say, I got all kinds of weepy.

Just as Living Social entered my life at the perfect time, when I was a lost little soul looking for friends in all the wrong places, it’s exiting at the right time as well. As the summer ends, I’ve got QUITE the semester coming up. New job at Penn, three classes, internship, and one class that I’m TA-ing for…. there’s a lot on this plate of mine.

Luckily, we’ve got a little ditty that kind of embodies what I hope will happen with this group.

Raise your glasses up high, good friends by your side. Living Social we live, Living Social we die.

Promise, we’re not planning a group suicide. I just truly believe that I made a buncha “lifers”. The friends that will be my forever friends. And if that’s not the case, well…. we’ll always have rooftop parties, wine tastings, beer olympics, Franky Fridays, and ice sculptures.

Thanks for the memories, Living Social. No matter how awkward our parting of ways was…. you introduced me to a way of being and a group of people that have forever changed my life.