Open Forum

We've all had to be creative during COVID to maintain our social lives. I belong to a few Facebook groups of local working moms or neighborhood interest groups. Sometimes scrolling through those pages, I'll see a question that I can respond to - something I've experienced before. It's an opportunity to share what I learned and what worked for me. The responses can be great connections and can lead to other conversations. Even if they just like your response, it feels good to know that it was useful.

It's easy to get caught up in the day to day busy-ness. When I don't have time to go out and see people, I'll sometimes reach out to existing friends and people I've known for years to catch up. It's nice to reconnect, even via text. Sometimes these old connections can be fulfilling in that they remind you of a time in your life you've forgotten about, and that you've got connections that go way back. Some grad school friends of mine and I recently caught up and are now planning a weekend reunion. I'm thinking this could become a new annual tradition.

Finally, my neighbor is planning a progressive dinner and asking for volunteers to host or participate. This is a great way for people to catch up since we're not outside much in the winter. Does anyone else have connection stories?

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Carrie Goldbeck
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, @Carrie Goldbeck! I am new to working from home, and while I enjoy it, it is more difficult to make connections in my community. Tapping into social media is a great way to meet new people! There are so many Facebook groups out there and it's easy to find people in your area with similar interests.

One thing that has helped me meet people is my graduate school program. I've made some great connections through my classes and coursework.​ Taking a course at local university or community center is a wonderful way not only to learn a new skill, but meet people with similar interests!

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Taylor
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-13-2023 15:34
From: Carrie Goldbeck
Subject: My job is remote. How do I make connections locally?

We've all had to be creative during COVID to maintain our social lives. I belong to a few Facebook groups of local working moms or neighborhood interest groups. Sometimes scrolling through those pages, I'll see a question that I can respond to - something I've experienced before. It's an opportunity to share what I learned and what worked for me. The responses can be great connections and can lead to other conversations. Even if they just like your response, it feels good to know that it was useful.

It's easy to get caught up in the day to day busy-ness. When I don't have time to go out and see people, I'll sometimes reach out to existing friends and people I've known for years to catch up. It's nice to reconnect, even via text. Sometimes these old connections can be fulfilling in that they remind you of a time in your life you've forgotten about, and that you've got connections that go way back. Some grad school friends of mine and I recently caught up and are now planning a weekend reunion. I'm thinking this could become a new annual tradition.

Finally, my neighbor is planning a progressive dinner and asking for volunteers to host or participate. This is a great way for people to catch up since we're not outside much in the winter. Does anyone else have connection stories?

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Carrie Goldbeck
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Oooh, I love the idea of a progressive dinner, @Carrie Goldbeck!!!! I might have to adopt that. Let me know how it goes. In fact this researcher says that the one most important factor to determining happiness is connection. Check out the article here!​​

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Lee Ann Searight
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-13-2023 15:34
From: Carrie Goldbeck
Subject: My job is remote. How do I make connections locally?

We've all had to be creative during COVID to maintain our social lives. I belong to a few Facebook groups of local working moms or neighborhood interest groups. Sometimes scrolling through those pages, I'll see a question that I can respond to - something I've experienced before. It's an opportunity to share what I learned and what worked for me. The responses can be great connections and can lead to other conversations. Even if they just like your response, it feels good to know that it was useful.

It's easy to get caught up in the day to day busy-ness. When I don't have time to go out and see people, I'll sometimes reach out to existing friends and people I've known for years to catch up. It's nice to reconnect, even via text. Sometimes these old connections can be fulfilling in that they remind you of a time in your life you've forgotten about, and that you've got connections that go way back. Some grad school friends of mine and I recently caught up and are now planning a weekend reunion. I'm thinking this could become a new annual tradition.

Finally, my neighbor is planning a progressive dinner and asking for volunteers to host or participate. This is a great way for people to catch up since we're not outside much in the winter. Does anyone else have connection stories?

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Carrie Goldbeck
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