Hello Everyone! My oh my, oh my. It has been such a long time since I last posted. I have missed it! And I miss writing and talking with you in this format. I wanted to use this post to catch up and share what I have been up to over the last several months. I will keep it brief so that I can bring you to the present.
Where have I been?
After six years of living in Michigan, a place that hold many special memories for me, I decided it was time to move back home to Ohio to be closer to my family. Yes, it’s true. Michigan and Ohio are not that far apart at all. However, after years of having to leave the family gatherings early in order to hit the road back home, I felt ready to make a change. It happened quickly and was naturally a bit stressful. Now that it is done, I am happy to be back and spending more time with family.
Upon returning, I initially took the first few months just to rest and settle in to my old/new surroundings. I had about 10 weeks off from work (which was marvelous) so it gave me a lot of time to find a new job and establish a routine. Mid-February, I decided I wanted to get back on the friendship train. I created a plan with goal of exploring the city and meeting people through different activities and events. Then, I would share the experience with you. Which I still plan to do. Alas, COVID-19 struck and here we are today.
So, like the rest of the world, I am staying home and waiting until regulations are lifted and we are able to leave again. I miss being out and exploring new coffee shops and places. Nevertheless, I want our world to be safe and healthy and will do my part by staying home.
Now onto what I have been doing with Friendships in the City.
At the beginning of the year, I decided the theme would be RESET. I chose reset for myself because I wanted to return to hobbies and activities I most enjoy; for instance, visiting museums, playing the piano, checking out new restaurants, and visiting with friends. As I thought about it more, I found RESET equally fitting for friendship.
I searched the web on the topic of friendship. As I read various articles and stories about it, I noticed that the conversation and narrative around friendship had shifted. Instead of friendship being tied to a sense of community, personal connection and experiences, some narratives had a more jaded concept that viewed it as an unwanted chore. Yuck.
Now don’t get me wrong, I know there are some great stories about friendship as well but as of late, they were more difficult to find. I decided that enough was enough, and that NOW is the time to turn the dialog back around to sharing how wonderful and exciting friendship (both old and new) can be. Thus, the theme RESET.
What does that mean for Friendships in the City?
I want to help change the friendship dialog. Let’s reset our thoughts on what friendship looks like. Let’s reset the script of what it means to be a friend and to have a friend. Let’s get back to the basics of what frienship is and explore its many facets. Let’s look at the good and complex. Let us be intentional about our friendships, focus on what matters, and be there for each other.
I have a lot that I want to share with you around articles, stories and practical tips. I look forward reconnecting and having in-person meet ups someday. In the meantime, let’s not have stay-at-home guidelines deter us from staying engaged with one another.
We’re going through a RESET but, we are strong and we can do this. It’s been grand my, friends. Talk with you soon!
Alicia
Friendships in the City 