"We had friends from different parts of life. There were my college friends, Brad's coworkers with whom he was close, friends we made in our apartment complex and at church, and even friends we met online through our first dog, Moe. We consider ourselves very grateful to have had such a positive experience living in D.C."
"Fast forward three years. Brad and I found and bought our first home and settled into a close-knit neighborhood in the Pittsburgh suburbs. While it was nice seeing our family more often, we felt bored and like something was missing from our lives. Unfortunately, that said friend lives an hour away, so it's hard to get together much more than that."
"Late last year, Brad and I were talking in bed one night and concluded that we really missed our parties we used to throw. We reminisced about times we played Cards Against Humanity at 1 a.m., had everyone wearing a ridiculous turkey hat."
After moving from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh for cheaper housing and family proximity, a couple discovered that financial benefits couldn't replace the vibrant social life they left behind. They had cultivated a diverse friend group over 20 years through college, work, church, and shared interests, regularly hosting themed parties and gatherings. Three years into their Pittsburgh relocation, despite owning a home and living in a close-knit neighborhood, they felt isolated and missed the social connection. Recognizing this void, they decided to recreate their beloved tradition by throwing a neighborhood party, which unexpectedly attracted 32 attendees, restoring the sense of community and belonging they had lost.
#relocation-and-social-isolation #community-building #friendship-and-belonging #cost-of-living-trade-offs #neighborhood-connection
Read at Business Insider
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