Meet Katey Shehan. She calls herself “one of Charlotte’s biggest cheerleaders” and runs CLT Social Club, an Instagram account that coordinates group hangouts for people who live in Charlotte.
- She didn’t always love her city though.
“Even though I grew up here, I hated living here,” Shehan, a Ballantyne native, told me over coffee recently. “I thought the solution was to move to a different city,” she said.
Why it matters: The human need for companionship is primal. In some studies, like this one from neuroscientists at UCLA, researchers have found that human interaction is as vital as food and shelter for survival.
- Friendships can make or break your experience in any city. But, it can be hard to make genuine connections as an adult.
- Think about it: Before adulthood, your friendships were facilitated by surroundings – school, family, church, sports or other organizations. But without those avenues, it can be hard to introduce yourself to a stranger, no matter how extroverted you are. Continue reading “I hated living here”: A Charlotte native learns to love her city by helping others find friends