How to Put Yourself Out There and Find Your Community in a Brand New Place
Rex Smeal Park - Port Douglas, QLD
When I was 25, I moved to Australia. After a month in Sydney I settled in Port Douglas, a small seaside resort town in Far North Queensland. I was very unhappy in my job back in Boston and I knew deep down that this was not what I wanted to be doing. I was living at home at the time and not in a good place emotionally, and while I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into, I knew I had to make some kind of change. My boyfriend at the time mentioned going to Australia so I decided to go too. I walked through an open door and figured out along the way where it was taking me. I took a chance, got on a plane, and it turned into one of the best experiences of my life. My mind was opened, my perspective changed drastically, and I learned so much about how to put yourself out there and find your community in a brand new place. Here are some of the things I did:
My styling experience started during this time and my first retail job was at a Lorna Jane store in Port Douglas, Queensland. Having recently moved to the area, I was looking for work and two beautiful women (Jacqueline and Peta) gave me a job! Lorna Jane (similar to a Lululemon here in the states) sold beautiful athletic clothing and athleisure items but more than that, the founder based her entire brand around a philosophy of Move, Nourish, Believe. With that at the core of the brand we were able to connect with customers in such an authentic way. I started to build my little community in Port Douglas through the people I met through work and my co-workers. One of my dearest friends, Kate, I met by her just walking into the store.
Hang Out at The Local Coffee Shop
Whileaway Bookshop & Cafe with my friends Alana and Cara
I am a very social person and not knowing anyone besides my partner at the time I knew I had to find some friends. I decided to put myself out there and the first thing that came to mind was I obviously needed to find a great coffee shop so let's start there. I went to this adorable coffee shop called Whileaway which ended up being a bookstore as well - so this was a win-win. I went there almost every morning and just started talking to the barista, Cara. Now that I think about it I have been networking for years without even knowing it. I was friendly to everyone and asked questions about the area and what I could get involved in. Cara was so nice to me and introduced me to her friend Alana. Alana is to this day one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met. I went to a yoga class she was teaching and from then on she became an integral part of my time in Australia.
Sign Up For Interesting Classes
Pre-Performance Huddle with Bodies in Motion Dance Group
Besides being social and loving coffee, the next thing on my list was dance or fitness. I found a local dance studio and signed up for an adult hip hop class, I dragged my new friend Kate and we had a blast. I decided to stay and continue to take hip hop classes. I don’t remember feeling uncomfortable enough to stop so I just dove in. The owner Saskia, a gorgeous redhead, was so welcoming and kind. She suggested I join the group that was performing in the coming weeks and did extra rehearsals with me so I could catch up and be a part of it, which was amazing! Looking back on it I am so glad I didn’t let being an outsider stop me.
One of the women in our dance class, Lou, owned a fitness studio down the street and so Kate, her twin sister Amber, and I decided to join. Lou is a ray of sunshine. She taught a Les Mills style class with dancing and weight training and it was so much fun. I went as much as possible with my new friends and started finding my little community.
Reflect
Looking back years later I am so grateful and honestly in awe of the fact that I made such beautiful friendships in a small town across the world. From Christina and Julie who took me under their wing, taught me how to make jewelry in their shop and acted like second moms to me, to my girlfriends who became my happy place, to the young girls in my dance class who made me feel like I belonged - it is so rewarding when you get past the fear of feeling awkward and just put yourself out there. I would encourage anyone who is trying something new or in a new environment to just put yourself out there. Start a conversation with someone, go to a coffee shop alone, take a class, or even join a group to learn about something you want to do. I promise it's worth it.