I learned a good lesson in networking last weekend. I was working a fashion show for the store i work at on Friday night. I agreed to do the show for the experience and network possibilities. I got to the venue at 7:00 on Friday night and was supossed to be out by 10. It turned out that the show wasn't going to be starting until much later than planned. I had plans that night and my presence backstage at the show wasn't vital. I waited backstage not really doing anything at all for about an hour...really frustrated that I was having to wait for the show to even start. Eventually my boss from the store showed up and I was able to leave backstage. I ended up meeting a lot of people from Richmond involved in the arts, which is the best way to start networking for eventually moving to a bigger city. The fashion show didn't end up starting until 11:00 (3 hours late). I worked backstage and learned a lot about how exactly a show is run. After the show I continued to talk to people from the area about possibilities Richmond has in fashion and art. It was extremely refreshing to meet people who have succeeded in the arts right here in Richmond. Although I was there much later than planned, I was happy to have had the opportunity. If I had gotten frustrated and left the show early I would have never had such a great networking opportunity. The people I met will hopefully help me get my career started after graduation by leading me to new and exciting opportunities in Richmond and beyond in fashion and the arts.