The Impact of Community, How to Find Your People, and a Tour of the Van!

It seems like just yesterday edition three of The Digital Community newsletter hit your inboxes! I've been mulling on today's topics with some of my tried and true community people this week and I want to share some insights and tidbits that were shared this week.

If you weren't here last week, no worries! You can catch up on every edition of my newsletters here .

So...what are we talking about today?

• How communities have an impact in everything we do ??
• How to find your community ??
• And I'll give you a tour of the van! ??

Let's get into it!

How Our Communities Impact Everything We Do

One of the biggest things about community that gets overlooked is how it impacts us as we move through our phases of life. We often think that our family raises us to be the person we're meant to become, but in many ways our physical community environment and support system outside of our homes impact how we live and grow as we make our way through the world.

Growing up, I was surrounded by family members who supported me in every aspect of my life. I was always told that I could do it, no matter what the "it" actually was. Outside of my family, the friends that have lasted me through my childhood and into my adult years have also made me who I am and have always allowed me to lean into my path, even if it's been bumpy along the way.

Since I've stepped into the community space, I've seen how far the impact that people and place make in our lives. For me, being in the desert, with people who like to hike and bring their dogs everywhere brings me endless joy into my life. But I've also seen how my work is affected when I'm able to work in the right environment with the right people. Not only am I able to do better, more impactful work as an individual, but I've learned that my collaborative impact is greater, too. The always say two heads are better than one and in this case, it's true.

Here are some things I've been able to do because my community, in both place and person, have guided me:

• Writing: My love of writing started in elementary school. I was an avid reader and writing was one of the only forms of communication I loved. My teachers throughout my life encouraged me to keep going, I won awards, and eventually got the nerve to take it full time shortly after my stint in agency work after college. Without the community I had in my early education, I wouldn't be here writing this or anything else for the world to see.
• Rescue Work: I've always loved animals and helping them is an instinct I feel deep in my bones (hence why I have three dogs now). I found a community inside of a local dog shelter when I lived in Texas who worked alongside me to take photos of dogs who were up for adoption. The people I met then are still some of my life's greatest friends and have kept me centered on helping, rescuing, and adopting out as many rescue dogs as I can in my lifetime.

Without the help of community, I wouldn't have been able to do most of the things in my life. The cities and towns I've called home, the friends and family I've made along the way, and the journey of growing into my values are all the ingredients that go into the melting pot that is me!

How to Find Your Community (And the Challenge of Becoming a Part of It)

Finding your people these days is easier than ever. You can type into Facebook "Women Who Travel" and find hundreds, if not thousands, of results of Facebook groups that have women from all over the world who travel. You can find likeminded people by searching through hashtags on Instagram. You can even meetup with people in real life through things like meetup and COhatch+ . Yes, I know...a shameless plug. ??

But to really find your people, you have to know yourself first. Or at least know the kind of people you want to find. Getting to know yourself and the community you're interested in is key to finding your way through the gate. Because as much as we say community is a way to include people, there are some barriers to entry when you first step into the arena...even with people you think could ultimately be the people you want to spend most of your time with.

My colleague and dear friend, Rion Robinson , and I had one of our "Couch Chats" this week where we let loose about all kinds of topics around culture, community, work, and the chaos of life. We were talking about how finding your community, especially when you have an idea of who you are and where you want to be in that community, can be a difficult hike up the hill instead of the paradise we thought it would be. So it's important to do the work before you get in too deep to ensure you're setting yourself up for success when you find a new group to get involved with.

Some of the work I did before I jumped into my communities included:

• Research on what it really meant to be a part of these communities (would I be as happy in the community as I thought I would be when I was on the outside of it?)
• Looking for local groups where I could start small and build on later
• Met with people inside of those groups individually before taking the full plunge off the deep end
• Making a list of things that were important to me including my values, my lifestyle, and overall expectation for my relationships and friendships

Regardless of how much work you put in, there will still be challenges that arise when you first put yourself in a community environment. You'll find that some people are protective of their resources, their time, and their people. You'll may find that there are group norms and guidelines that are unwritten and oftentimes not spoken about, even between the inner circles or hierarchy. The people who have been around may have more say or you might find that there are smaller groups inside the main community group. Some experiences you can dance around, but others you may have to learn the hard way. Either way, the learning curve to finding and becoming a part of a community all starts with another word: culture...which is what we'll talk about in next week's edition of the newsletter!

Ah, yes! A cliffhanger!!

The Countdown Begins...and a Van Tour

Enough about the community stuff, I hear ya. I'm gearing up to hit the road for two weeks of vacation and full-time vanlife here in the next two weeks, which means it's time for a van tour! Take a look inside the van (before I do some paintwork over the week) and see how I'll be living on the road in the quick video below!

Another week down, and only one more week before I hit the road!

What's on the way to your inbox next week before I take two weeks off?

• Culture in Community ??
• Navigating Change in Community ??
• What I'm Working on Before I Hit the Road ????
• Pupdate with Rory, Asta, and Moe! ??

We'll see you back here next week. ??