Sweeter undertones
Today I joined Fable's writing hour, a weekly, in-person community you can meet in Lisboa, where you can find other writers and work alongside them.
From clicking keys and waltzing pens, to the smell of caffeine, butter toasted bread and books all around, I feel overjoyed looking up and seeing so many strangers immersed in their own writing. I see people gently squeezing to make room for more people like them. I see community. When we find ourselves among people who are weird in the same ways we are, life gains sweeter undertones.
It's undeniable we're going through a crisis of connection. So many of us are now working away from offices or studying online. There are less opportunities for getting to know people and for building relationships in organic ways. But amidst this struggle, when I’m in places like this, I sense something new sprouting.
The same internet that empowered us to explore deep and obscure interests in random forums and chat rooms, is now creating opportunities for us to do the same offline.
Event platforms have been around for a while but now they are becoming widely adopted. And because more people are able to work remotely than ever before, it is increasingly easier to find people who share our niche interests and who also happen to be nearby.
I organised a dinner for digital nomads in Ciudad de México and a breakfast club for people who wanted to have deeper conversations and meet strangers in Alicante. Both took 10 minutes and a platform to get started. You can do the same. You can join a running club for founders, start a writing group for academics or create a yoga-in-the-park movement. Go find your tribe.