I'm looking forward to the weekend again! | Member Story - Steph

How Meet5 Helped Me Take Back My Weekends

When Denise writes in the group chat, “I’m really looking forward to the activity,” or Tommy says he’s “just happy” to see everyone again at the next weekly, it means more to me than I can say. These small moments remind me of how far I’ve come. I can finally plan my evenings and weekends again and look forward to them, knowing I’ll be surrounded by a mix of friendly faces, old and new. As a Premium member, I can even message new people one-on-one after a great evening, which makes it even easier to keep the connection going. But not too long ago, things looked pretty different.

A few months back, my social life had gone quiet. My old circle of friends drifted away, everyone seemed too busy, always rescheduling or canceling. Sometimes, I was the one bailing. I kept wondering, How did we all get so bad at making time for each other? It felt like the good times were either behind us or something to plan for far in the future. After getting canceled on again, this time on a Friday night, I knew something had to change. Right then and there.

I’d been hearing my friend Vicki say more and more often, “Can’t make it, I’m at a Meet5 activity.” A few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have considered meeting people through an app. But with how digital my work life has become, it started to make sense. I downloaded the app and signed up for my first activity, a “coffee chat.” Sounded simple, sounded social. I was in. Everyone looked kind and relaxed in their profile photos. That was enough for me to give it a shot.

Even though I didn’t have Premium at the time, I saw more and more people viewing my profile. I started getting curious: Who are these people I’m about to meet? 

The day of the activity, I was nervous, but now I look back and laugh. What surprised me most wasn’t how fun it was (though it really was), but how diverse the group turned out to be. A travel agent, a boutique owner, someone who ran a jewelry store and me, an architect. Different paths, but what brought us together was simple: everyone actually showed up. No last-minute texts. No ghosting.

The vibe was loud, lively, and full of laughter. Matthew got deep into the art of coffee-making after his third double espresso. Meanwhile, some of us were already halfway through a conversation about family stories, personal ups and downs, and everything in between. We gave Martina space to vent about her situation at home, sometimes just listening was enough. The rest of the time, we talked about life, hobbies, and whatever else came up.

A few others told me they felt the same as I did. We hadn’t forgotten how to have fun, we’d just forgotten how to make time for it. That little group has since grown to about 12 people. We meet up regularly but always keep space open for new faces. I still enjoy the group chat before each activity, but what I love most is connecting with new people afterward, sending a message, starting a conversation, and sometimes inviting someone straight to my next activity.

Personally, my favorite Premium perk is priority access to activities. I’m not the most patient person, so skipping the waitlist is a game changer.

But the biggest change was that I look forward to my weekends again. Before Meet5, my plans were shaky at best. Now, no matter where I am, it feels like I’ve got a pocket full of friends ready to meet, chat, and enjoy life together.