When I scheduled myself to speak about place attachment to a group in Cleveland, I did not give one single, solitary thought to the fact that the event would be the day after the election. Until I woke up in the Cleveland Marriott, checked my phone, and thought, “Oh crap. What have I done?” As feared, people were like zombies … Read More
Why You’re Miserable after a Move
No one who packed up a U-Haul this summer would disagree with the notion that moving is a miserable experience, especially if you going abroad. Whether you went 20 miles or 2,000, the sheer stress and exhaustion of packing up your entire life and setting it down again in a different place is enough to induce at least a temporary … Read More
A 2-Minute Exercise for Feeling Happier Where You Live
When I was a bummed-out teenager, I hit on an exercise that seemed magically to make me feel better. I called it the Happy List. I took out a few sheets of notebook paper and brainstormed as many things that made me happy as I could. Sleeping in crisp white sheets. Sitting in the sunshine. Cuddling with my cat. Watching … Read More
Where Do You Really Come From?
Imagine you’re at a party with a bunch of people you don’t know, and someone asks, “Where are you from?” How do you respond: With the name of your neighborhood? Your city? Your hometown? Your state? It probably depends on a couple things. First, the social context. If you’re from Mobile, Alabama, and you’re standing at a Mobile bar surrounded … Read More
The #1 Thing You Can Do to Help Your Town Thrive
Add this to the list of things you probably already know: Volunteering is good for you. Like, seriously good for you. Various studies have shown that spending as little as an hour a week volunteering can: Increase your well-being, making you more satisfied with everything about your life: your finances, your health, your accomplishments, your relationships. Basically it gives you … Read More