abaya

What kinds of communities are you a part of? Are they physical, virtual, or something else? How do you go about finding a new community, e.g. when you move? Or do you prefer to remain isolated and not involved in a community?

I never really thought consciously about "community" until I moved to Iceland with ktspktsp last year, and realized that we basically had to start over from scratch--previously, I had always been immersed in some kind of community or another, though I had never realized it (always being in some kind of school had made it very easy for me, along with sports clubs, church, etc).

Of course, the TFP is one of my favorite communities, one that I have been a part of for going on 4 years now, and one that I believe in very strongly. I've always been able to find a place here, no matter where I am in the world, even with the ebbs and flows (and occasional drama) that are a natural function of a community like this.

As for meeting people in real life--it took us 9 months in Iceland (and my joining Facebook, incidentally) before we were able to help organize and plug into a community here in Iceland. I also participate in a kind of "immigrant assistance" community here in Iceland (human rights lawyers, language teachers, etc), and through that I was able to make some friends, which gave us people to do things with. But it took some serious effort--nothing came naturally, as it used to for me.

Now that we're looking at moving back to the US, possibly my hometown (Seattle)--I find myself wondering about this community thing again. I know the streets, I know the cool places to go in Seattle--but I know very few people other than family and a couple of friends. We'll have to start over again... I hope it won't be as difficult as it was in Iceland.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran