I am struck by the life I am living. I never would have imagined I’d be a 30-something, single, clergy-girl living in a fab Boston-area apartment on my own. I am happy with where I am. I have worked hard to get here! But that doesn’t change the fact that I sit here somewhat shocked by the life I am living.
I realize that I need to take steps to get out there and meet new people. I have moved “home” to a city where only a couple of my friends have remained. (Thank God for D and Lynn!) Most people have moved away from the area while I’ve been living it up at seminary. Whenever I move to a new area I have to force myself to be an extravert for a while in order to find places and people who feed my soul. This time around is no different and oh-so-different. Where does a single, 30-something clergy-girl go to make friends and have fun?
I’m not quite sure so I have a new question I am asking myself when I realize I am losing my extrovertism: What would Carrie Bradshaw do? I don’t yet have all the answers, but if my shoe closet is any indication – I’m heading in the right direction.
Try singing with a group, if you can fit it into your new life! It’s fun, and can give you something outside your pastoral environment.
Outdoorsy groups? (Streamteam, volunteer trail maintenance groups, etc) You can get exercise while improving your community and meet other people. Does Boston have that kind of stuff like we do here?
Take a class at a local art center, museum, state park, college, extended learning center–learn something new while meeting new people! Even in our little city there are lots of opportunities like that (I like to catalog/website shop for when my kids are grown and I have free time again). Oh–the symphony and REP theater often have pre-show discussions of the composer/playwrite that you can go to as well. Those are cool. Surely BSO offers things like that if ASO does! Not sure how interactive those are tho.
We have a free weekly newspaper for young people (SYNC) that highlights things going on in the city that would appeal to single 20-40 somethings. Maybe Boston has one of those too.
Have you met any cool, single 30 somethings in your new parish, or other young clergy in the area? Ask them what they do!
OK, I am out. Of course I know nothing of Boston…just thinking of what I would recommend to a newcomer in my city. 🙂