The Side Effects of Endorphins

It may sound cliché, but to make it better is to be present and available. We live in a divided world, but all we can be is be the best neighbor possible. Treat the people around you well and you’ve gone a long way to building a better community.

And How To Find One

We’re in the middle of moving.. Seattle used to have the reputation of being difficult to find friends. When I lived there before it was not the case, but here we are in a house search looking for a community. Nothing can replicate the bonds we have with our current neighborhood , and I will miss them dearly.

Here are factors I look at what I’m picking a community.

• Walk ability- a community that’s easy to walk, run or bike in. It’s not negotiable for us.
• Access to nature – in the Pacific Northwest it’s not that hard to find but if it’s close by that’s a bonus.
• Access to culture and the arts – I’m not a car person and I don’t want to be a car person so if it’s close by said so much better. A few nice record stores would not be bad either.
• People – we’re going to have to build that community, but I’ve run into neighborhood I do not want to live in when looking for a house. If there are Nazi flags or even MAGA flags that can be an instant dealbreaker.

I usually go off on poetic tangents on these essay questions but improving a neighborhood is pretty simple. Being a good neighbor goes a long way.