Networking & Vinegar

Last week I attended my first networking event for my job. Leading up to it, I was nervous. Networking is hugely out of my comfort zone and I was doing it solo, so I sought out a few words of encouragement from fellow team members.
"You're going to do great!"
"Don't feel like you have to walk away with a ton of business cards or a ton of new contacts."
"It's okay to be a wallflower and let people approach you first."
"This will be a great start to getting you more comfortable."
.....
I walked in, grabbed the first open seat at a table of other young professional women and was instantly greeted by the gal I sat next to. I introduced myself and told the ladies who I was and what I do. They did the same. We helped ourselves to some food. I exchanged business cards with the girl sitting next to me. Then the presentation started.

In the middle of the presentation I remember thinking, I'm doing just fine! This is fun! I was proud of myself for branching out of my comfort zone for a little while. And it was nice to break away from the office for a bit. Then, I started telling myself to not do anything embarrassing. I was sitting toward the front of the room and the way my chair was positioned, everyone in the room had a clear view of my seat. I picked up my water bottle, took a swig, and I thought, That would be such a "Heather thing" to do if you dribbled water down your face right now...Don't dribble water down your face right now, Heather.
...
Success.
I went to set my water bottle back down on the table. That would be such a "Heather thing" to drop your almost full water bottle all over the table right now...Don't do it!
...
...
...
...
"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean....Oh my gosh, how embarrassing."
Girl sitting next to me - "Oh no. It's fine. Don't worry about it. Really. No big deal at all."

No, I didn't dribble water down my chin. No, I didn't spill my water bottle all over the table, or all over the girl sitting next to me.
But, as I was pulling my arm back from successfully putting my water bottle down, I "successfully" knocked my plate of half-eaten salad directly upside down onto my suit jacket. Not only was salad and dressing all over me, all over my chair, and all over the floor, but I had spilled salad and dressing all over the girl sitting next to me's ridiculously nice, expensive purse.

That was such a "Heather thing" to do.

But, on the bright side -
It was a good event and gave me some good networking experience. And at least I walked away with a business card. If nothing else but to send the girl sitting next to me an apology email for making her nice, expensive purse smell like vinegar.