Open the gates and seize the day!
The importance of casual, drop-in community.
We’ve recently set up camp on our previous landlords’ 9-acre property staying in a tiny airstream best suited for 3 people, but hey, what’s 2 more? I guess it’s good we like to snuggle in the Lawler household. It’s tight quarters but I love the challenge of paring down further and making tight spaces work. Our soon-to-be 375 sq foot tiny home is going to feel like a mansion. (Update: we sold the van, the home build is coming along and we seem to have a nice piece of land available to us right between our last two spots, please pray this comes to fruition and that we’re living in our new home on its new spot in September.)
The best part of returning to the original land is that it’s so accessible to friends. Our previous spot, was shrouded behind a huge Jurassic park style iron gate and made it hard for friends to just pop in for spontaneous visits versus being able to swing over and say hi whenever they would see us at the outdoor living space. It feels so good to be out beyond those gates again. Even though our last spot was beautiful, it didn’t jive with our extemporaneous way of living and connecting with other humans.
My absolute favorite way to host friends is when it doesn’t feel overly planned or stressful. Last night we had some good friends stop by for a late afternoon play date. The kids were busy climbing, building cinder block forts in the dirt, swinging on the swing, and before we knew it, it was dinner time. So I grabbed what we had from the yeti and skilleted up some leftover pasta, and made a pizza in the outdoor pizza oven. A couple extra quesadillas, salad and watermelon, brought the meal to completion. There was no pressure to impress or make a perfect meal, just a Monday night hodge-podge of things and great company. And of course, we opened up the Veinte Malbec from Chile. It’s so good! If you’re an exclusive cab drinker, you must make your way “down south” to try a Chilean Malbec sometime!
My friend and former colleague, Shannon of Syrup Coaching interviewed me on her podcast recently. After a rough day, she messaged me that the podcast was live, and oh-my-word, her opening introduction about me was full of positive and affirming words that I really needed to hear. It was just what I needed to lift my spirits after a tough day. My friends, be someone who speaks life over your friends and loved ones. Thank you, Shannon for your kind words.
Being the astute and strategic thinker she is, Shannon quickly zero’d in on the theme of “community” as a common through-line in all of my life’s work. My wine business is centered around community, Behere is all about community, and as a homeschooler, it REALLY requires you to find your community to survive the emotional toll that role can take. Community IS the most valuable currency.
If you want to listen to the full interview, check it out here, episode 5.
And if you need a good life & health coach, definitely book a session with Shannon! She’s the real deal :)
Before I wrap, I have one more exciting update, it looks like Behere workshops will be available starting October. We’ve got three wonderful teachers ready to jump in with storytelling, art and wild math experiences! These are far from traditional offerings and will connect your littles with nature and instill in them new ways to think creatively. So clear your calendars Tuesday - Thursday mornings 9-12pm. Fall/Winter sessions are coming! We’re formalizing the location soon.
Our Wild and Free Family book club will commence Thursday September 8th. We will meet in Westlake and Camarillo every other week. Additional details to come. Make sure to subscribe to our updates on our website to keep up-to-speed.
Cheers friends!
Love,
Brooke
Brooke Lawler is a co-founder of Behere, a coworking space meets outdoor enrichment solution for independent workers and learners, Soft launch, fall sessions will start October 2022. Official launch with full offerings coming Summer 2023. Contact Brooke at Brooke@behere.re