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Your Quest for Home: Where Do I Start?

January 21, 2014 by

I am frequently asked about the best ways to start community. How do you find other people interested in living these types of situations?

your quest for homeThe good news is that my guidebook, Your Quest for Home, will soon be available. You can sign up for the mailing list to know when it will be available on the homepage.

In the book I share some important information about how to start your journey toward community living including how to meet others on a similar path. I tackle this information starting in chapter 8.

When I set out to intentionally find a community in which to live, I had no idea that I was also stepping into a profound opportunity to discover myself. I didn’t know that in order to find people to live with. . . people that I WANTED to live with. . . I would have to know myself.

The guidebook offers an exercise for you to begin learning about yourself, your desires for community living, and your ultimate goals.

I encourage you to click below to read more about how to find others and the guidebook.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

New Year’s Resolutions from Women for Living in Community

January 7, 2014 by

11695066003_345f318181_zThe holidays are over. We’ve watched the ball drop and rang in the New Year. Now, the real work begins. This time of year is where many people make resolutions they often set aside by February. Instead of impossible goals, what if you use 2014 to work toward your dream of living in community? Here are just a few resolutions that can move you forward this year.

  • Make connections. Community building is all about making the right connections. Join online forums, local meet-ups, and engage with everyone you meet. Talk about community building and what you do when you’re out at the store or at a restaurant. You never know who you will meet. Also, don’t hoard these introductions. When you meet someone who can help a friend or colleague, introduce them. Building community is all about surrounding yourself with the right people.
  • Begin to downsize. You may not want to move into a tiny house as a part of your community lifestyle, but you probably will want to simplify. This year is a good year to start. Look at your clothes, your books, your furniture; what can you part with? Donate anything you won’t need when you move into your ideal community living situation. Go one room at a time and if that is too overwhelming, start with a drawer. You can also begin to evaluate the space you do use in your life and how small you can go when you move. Would you be comfortable in a single bedroom? What are your true wants when it comes to a new life?
  • Challenge yourself. No one said building community was easy. There is a lot of hard work to accomplish what you’re looking to do. Challenge yourself to making these goals happen this year. Attend a conference or a workshop. Talk to real estate agents about homes in your area that would fit the profile. Get out of your comfort zone. If living in community were easy, everyone would do it. We have to be the trailblazers.
  • Share your story. Being accountable is one of the best motivators. Talk to others about your plans and let them keep you in check. Take it one step further and start a blog about your journey. The more followers you gain the more you will feel responsible for making something happen.

What can you do in 2014 to kick start your dream of living in community and make it a reality?

I can help! Contact me at my website or join in the conversation at Facebook to learn more! 

Image by vanhookc via Flickr

Filed Under: Personal Preparation Tagged With: ,

Business Innovation Factory Connected Aging Participatory Design Studio

December 17, 2013 by

In early November I was invited to Providence, Rhode Island to participate in a discussion with 15 others about leaving outdated concepts of aging behind.  The day long “think tank” discussion was  part of  the Connected Aging project, funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation with the  Business Innovation Factory.  BIF  will be completing the project with a video featuring some of us and parts of our stories as part of the project.

Photo by MeSome of the questions posed in November included:

What if we created experiences that focus on the continued pursuit of connection and purpose rather than the increasing need for monitoring and care?

 

What if we broadened the pool of possibilities for accomplishment and contribution?

What structures would support connection?

Throughout the workshop I got to know the others involved in the discussion. They included representatives from Artists and Scientists as Partners, the Time Goes By Blogger, and a Director of Elder Affairs to name of few of those assembled for the day. I felt honored to be in such great company.

The reoccurring question that we asked ourselves was:

How do I want to live my life?

I encourage you click below to learn more.

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Filed Under: Collaborative Tools, Events Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Settling Conflict in Community Living

July 1, 2013 by

photo credit: Aislinn Ritchie via photopin cc

It is important to understand that even with all the benefits of community living, it isn’t always a bed of roses. Conflict between adults happens, even in marriages and between friends. When it comes to living in community it is important to have a peace plan in place to settle conflict respectfully. It can be difficult to separate yourself from the situation because you and your housemates are more than just acquaintances or roommates.  Here are some ideas for dealing with conflict between women living in community.

  • Establish house rules. There are many resources available for designing roommate agreements on line. Use these and talk with your housemates to create a set of rules that will not restrict anyone’s personal freedom but will keep the home safe and orderly. For example, there may be rules about visitors, laundry, cooking, and quiet time. Many of these are common sense but having rules in writing from the beginning is important for dealing with future issues.

Click below to read more.

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Filed Under: Collaborative Tools, Graceful Aging, Personal Preparation, Resources for You, Shared Housing Tagged With: , , , ,

Welcome to Women For Living in Community

May 29, 2013 by

Welcome to my website.

If you’re new here or it has been a while since you’ve visited you’re probably wondering who I am and why I have a website for women living in community. Let me share my story with you.

After 30 years of working in Silicon Valley I decided I needed to make a drastic change. I had watched my own parents age and eventually move into nursing homes and as I cared for them I knew this was not the way I wanted to live the last third of my life. Divorced without children, I knew that if changes were going to happen I needed to be the one in control.

I moved from Northern California to Asheville, North Carolina, with the intention of promoting community living for women like myself. Asheville, if you don’t know it, is a gorgeous town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. The city’s energy is a blend of many kinds of people coming together. Community-building is a big part of the area’s identity so I knew it was the perfect place to settle and live my own vision to champion alternative housing choices for Boomers, especially women, who want to experience camaraderie, connection and confidence in their later years.

The progressive nature of Asheville coupled with it being a retirement destination in a naturally beautiful setting  made it possible for this Californian to settle to reinvent herself in NC.  There are many retirees here.

I live in community.

Click below for more of my story.

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Filed Under: History of Women for Living in Community, My Story Tagged With: , , ,
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