In Person Human Connection is Important
I’m an introvert by nature—but one of those introverts that can push themselves to be temporarily extroverted, so you might not know that about me.
I burn out with too much social interaction and require a lot of alone time to recharge, so living alone and working from home suit me really well.
Over the past two years, however, I’ve realized that although I love to hermit, there’s a limit to how much hermitting I can handle (I’ve heard this from other introverts too, so I know I’m not alone here).
You and I are, after all, just human beings, and humans are social animals.
Social media, Zoom calls and texts are simply not enough to satisfy our natural requirement of community and connection, and the past two years have really helped me to understand that, at a whole new level.
Human connection is important! We need to see each other in person. We need hugs, we need to feel each other’s energy, we need to laugh together until our bellies hurt. Humans were not designed to connect virtually, we’re designed to connect in person, face to face.
So I was really excited when my friend Michele came back for another visit this weekend (If you don’t yet know who Michele is, you can learn about her here in my last video/blog).
We had a fun, very unplanned weekend exploring the city, starting at the winter farmers market in Asheville.
I was so happy to see so many vendors and so much fresh produce being offered in January! One of my major life goals—and a big reason I moved to Western North Carolina—is to get the majority of my food locally, whether that be buying from local farmers, foraging for wild edibles, or (eventually) growing my own food at home. So going to the farmers market weekly, is on the top of my list.
Because I haven’t yet played tourist in my new town, after the farmers market we decided to look over a sightseeing map at the French Broad Chocolate Factory, where we enjoyed a cookie and an afternoon coffee (which ended up being a total mistake, because even the minuscule amount of caffeine in my decaf kept me up that night).
That map review helped us to plan out our next touristy activity, which happened the very next morning…
We got a massage and hung out in a salt cave at the Asheville Salt Cave (And I snuck this picture after we were through). We apparently breathed in the same amount of salt that we would’ve breathed in had we spent four days at the ocean—but although it was relaxing, it didn’t have the same effect as a beach vacation.
Later that afternoon, before Michele headed back home, we found ourselves in the River Arts District. Whenever I hang out in this area I get this shot of creative inspiration, and I want to run home and start painting. There’s something about being surrounded by so many different types of art and so many artists, that calls to my own inner creative. I used to feel this way when I lived in Madrid, Spain, and I would walk through the museums. It’s nice to have a local place that brings up the same feelings.
Spending time in-person with a good friend helps me to remember how important human connection really is. I’m grateful to have such a sweet friend nearby, right now.
Hi, I’m Kristen!
I envision a world where you and I rediscover what it is to be human, through connection with ourselves, each other and the natural world around us.