3 ways to keep growing where you live
i'm flossing and doing the orange justice over here in my living room because of you! (those are dance moves by the way) you all wowed me with how you set off to learn to love where you live this summer! thank you for downloading the summer series grid. for treating the person behind you to ice cream. for inviting your neighbors over for dinner. for literally walking across the bridge to explore a different part of your city. for making the most of your stay-cation.
changing of the guard at windsor castle
as we enter into a new season with the change of weather, the change of routine, the change of family dynamics, i want to show you how to keep growing in the midst of a new season right where you live.
1. make your own grid
what goals do you have for your neighborhood?
who are the people you've been meaning to have over?
what actions can you take at work that will make the environment better?
how can you best use your commute time/driving time?
what's something entertaining you've been wanting to attend in town?
jot down these answers and live intentionally this fall. holidays are in abundance between now and the end of the year - make that your reason for going and gathering.
need some ideas? you can download the summer series grid here.
bring someone alongside you
don't go at growing where you live alone! think of someone who loves exploring like you do, hosting like you do, trying new restaurants like you do, seeing movies like you do. think of someone who is new to town that you can show around. who can you help learn to love where you both live? you're a little ahead of them and have some great recommendations and excitement.
start by telling your story of what you did this summer and what you dream for your community. ask them to share their passion and past experiences. see what you can do together!
my friend candace and i love to swap city recommendations and travel tips. when we do, we also mention the names of the stylist, barista, and baker so that we can pick up where each other left off in an on-going conversation in our community. it's like playing tag! who will you play tag with!?
exploring the mission neighborhood together
talk about the challenges
i know there are a pile of challenges where we all live. this has been an extremely challenging week for my family in san francisco. asher even said on friday, "mom, sam's game on wednesday seems as far away as summer does!" it was a very long week. i let traffic drive me crazy on 19th avenue. our neighbors were burglarized. friends were rear ended, not once, but twice. we might live in the city, but we've got some pesky furry critters messing with our trash cans around here. challenges make it hard to love where we live. but i'm learning that in talking with fellow citizens who get the culture and quirks of community, we can help each other out and hold each other up. we've had some really good conversations with neighbors because of the burglary and it's deepened trust with one another. in talking, we can say "me, too" and the place doesn't feel quite so dark and hard.
i know i'm not alone in learning to love where i live. what are some challenges you face? you can speak from personal experience or ask for a friend! i'd love for you to write your answer to this question in the comment section below. i will use these to shape future blogposts. who knows in your talking about them, someone might have a solution, have experienced something similar, and together, we grow to love this place and the people around us!