So this weekend I experienced my first official Pokémon GO social outing. It was interesting to say the least. I found out about this Pokémon GO pub crawl through Facebook, and thought we’d give it a try. The event page listed all the bars that would be participating and listed their Pokémon themed drink specials. There were Pokéball shots, various beers/mixed drinks for the different teams – basically the bars were going all out for this event. So naturally, we were very excited to try this out.
We got to the first bar, and just sort of stood around for a bit, observing the people charging phones, eating, cosplaying. After being there for a bit, we ran into one of my husband’s co-workers and his girlfriend. They talked and after meeting up with more of their friends, we decided to go off and explore together.
Overall, the drink specials were pretty good, and the service seemed very good (especially for crowded bars on the weekend). We were laughing, comparing Pokémon, and making sure everyone’s phone stayed charged. There was a point where everyone was supposed to meet up at a public park, and it was just like you see in all those videos online – someone screams out that there’s a certain Pokémon nearby, and everyone rushes over to catch it. From a sociological standpoint, it was very interesting to observe and be a part of.
Even after my husband’s co-worker and girlfriend left, we still stayed out for several more hours with their friends. We bar hopped to a handful of other places, bought each other drinks, and just had some great conversations. We even got to defend Pokémon GO to groups of people that don’t understand the fun of it. Despite the crowd, it was unexpectedly pleasant (we even got to see an “Evee” twerk!)
The group finally decided to head home after our phones and portable chargers were pretty much dead. I got home safely, but exhausted from being out for several hours. Thankfully, I was able to take my contacts out, take off all my jewelry, and get out of my street clothes – somehow I forgot to take off my eyelashes, but oh well…
Basically, it was one of my best nights out I’ve had in Houston. I ended up making new friends and having a new experience. My husband and I have not lived here long enough to make good friends or find any good spots to socialize, but thanks to an app, we have been able to change all that.
