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BUILDING COMMUNITY IN A TRANSIENT ENVIRONMENT

Wired deeply into our brain's physiology is a primal need for connection and belonging. It traces back to early humans, where separation or isolation from one's family or tribe meant grave danger. Fast forward to the rapid pace of life in the 21st Century: while much of the way we live is entirely different from our early ancestors, those deep-seated needs are still with us. 

It is not always easy to maintain community or establish new friendships in these times, especially as we get older. If you have kids, perhaps your community is built from the school and peer connections. Maybe you're still in the same place where you grew up, have established a community that goes back decades, or have a large familial or cultural sense of community. Perhaps yours is a work-based community or from a hobby, sport, art, or interest. Perhaps building community and friendships comes easily to you because of your personality, who you are, and your life experiences. Or maybe you find it challenging? 

In his powerful recent book, 'Together,' U.S Surgeon General Vivek Murthy writes: 

"Loneliness is different than isolation and solitude. Loneliness is a subjective feeling where the connections we need are greater than the connections we have. In the gap, we experience loneliness." 

Vivek Murthy

He believes an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S. and other countries has only become more acute during the pandemic. 

How are we seeing and experiencing these patterns of human belonging, connection, and isolation in the Tahoe basin? Are the realities even more challenging around Tahoe because a large portion of the population is seasonal and transient, because of the housing situation, because we're a destination that brings millions of visitors, or because so many homes are 2nd or 3rd properties and only occupied a few weeks or months each year? Is it hard to make new friends in Tahoe, to connect with like-minded people, and do we see neighborly kindness, interactions, and familiarities in the same way we might expect in a small town or a friendly suburban area? 

This interactive, discussion-based workshop will raise all of these questions and more - and provide you with a chance to actually connect with like-minded, curious, and friendly folks. We'll be talking about community and living it. We look forward to seeing you there!