Join a Community

“I realized that individual freedom, when it’s not connected to some sort of community, or friends, or the world outside, ends up feeling pretty meaningless” - Bruce Springsteen

One of the greatest privileges and pleasures in life is to be a part of something greater than yourself. I’m pretty sure it’s the reason people do crazy stuff like Burning Man or have kids. But you don’t have to do anything as crazy as that to have this feeling. I’ve become obsessed with re-creating a sense of community, in addition to adding a few other things in college I miss. It’s hard as a post-college adult and even harder if you move somewhere for work. Add a 100% work from home culture on top of that and you really have to go out of your way to find a community. Someone even told me they bought a dog just so they could be a part of the dog-owners’ community after relocating from California to Denver. Not quite as drastic as having a child, but it’s still a big lifestyle change.

So how do you join a community without sacrificing an absurd amount of freedom? I have it easy because I moved 0.5 miles away from where I went to college & grad school in addition to living close to San Francisco, for which there is a direct pipeline for Berkeley undergraduates, especially those who can code. However, I still have to work at it, and here’s some of the stuff I’ve been trying (or meaning to try):

Volunteering: a great way to meet people who care about the same things you do while doing good for your community and something that brings you joy. I recently applied to work at a needle exchange again and have also been editing for the Biotech Connection Bay Area Blog.

Recreational Sports: after COVID-19 cancelled my UC Berkeley intramural basketball/soccer career, I joined a league through Zog Sports and the BAASL.

Rock climbing: or somewhere you can consistently see the same people and bond over a skill/hobby

Trolling Meetup and Eventbrite for events like Salsa dancing at Luka's, where I can learn more about what the community has to offer while socializing