#10 Finding Your Community

My gut always said Colorado is where I should live after undergrad so I trusted that it would work out. When I first moved out West, I knew three people: one SLUH buddy Jack & two Purdue buddies Josh & Kenny. Otherwise, I was a complete stranger. On the trek to my new home, I vividly thinking "Wow. Am I starting over again?" With what I know now, I would answer that question with "It's complicated."

How does one find their community? It can be a difficult adventure. From a personal experience, I remember trying really hard to meet new people in person whenever I could. I downloaded the app MeetUp & scrolled all the events in Boulder. A couple caught my eye: Movement Bouldering, Rocky Mountain Runners, Boulder Poker Night, & Improv Collaborative. I wasn't sure what I was getting into but decided to pick one. Rocky Mountain Runners it is. First time going, I remember feeling overwhelmed & a pit in my stomach. All these people already know each other & are going to be head & shoulders above my skill level. I've barely even trail run ever! Three years later, and I'm happy I decided to show up to Green Mountain that Monday night.

Rocky Mountain Runners is just one of the communities I've found so far while out West.

Scrolling on Instagram, I remember a page called "Cooldown Running" pop up. The account had 200 followers but looked like similar aged people to me running. That's what I had been missing in my life! I remember showing up asking if it was the club. The founders, Bailey & Daniel, both look at me surprised as I was their first newcomer to the club! They welcomed me with open arms & now, two years later the group is one of my favorite pastimes where I've met countless friends & one of the largest meetup spots in Denver!

Running has become a large part of my life since moving out West, but it isn't the only aspect of my life. I also am fortunate enough to now have both high school & college friends in the Denver area. That familiar faces are bright spots to my life. For some of us, our relationships continue to grow. For others, it's a nearby helping hand if ever needed. What's important is accepting that I cannot maintain all the relationships I've had in the past but prioritize those that make me a better person & help me continue to grow.

So how does one "Find Their Community"?

Well, it takes intention, persistence, & patience. Also, trying new things!

I will highlight it doesn't always work out trying new things. Once I showed up to a pickleball event hoping to have some friendly games & ended up in competitive matches where I was targeted as the weak link. It's alright that it didn't work out, it's just important that I tried (which is another blog post topic in the works).

One area of my life I am extremely grateful for is the new friendships I've been able to make since moving to Denver. I wouldn't have been able to make those friendships without putting myself out there. I know I have such a strong support system whether it's to push me, make me a better person, console me, or love me. I have leaned on my system & been vulnerable to the people in it. Life has been tough since graduating school. I'd be lying if I said it was easy. And I've used my support system at times for the help it can provide & I've been there as a shoulder to lean on when others need it from me.

Out of this, my ask is to find things you enjoy in life & the take risk to meet new people that have your similar interests. Humans are meant to be social & meeting new people will help build confidence because you're doing something out of your comfort zone. This upcoming year, I have a goal to continue to try new things (especially things I'm not good at). Both Pilates & dance classes are on my radar. Both are areas that I'm not good at but want to get better. Your action should be try something or meet someone new.

To answer my initial question over "Was I starting over again? The answer was yes but I had a past support system that I knew would be there & I was confident my future support system would be just as strong.