I went to PINC, a single-track conference with over a dozen speakers covering the general theme of People, Ideas, Nature, and Community. This was their 11th year. The talks ranged from techniques to help teens manage social media, to cheese sculpting, to collecting data on homelessness, to disaster resilient housing (and more).

One talk stood out to me as being applicable to my life. Aaron Hurst talked about his plan to open up US Chambers of Connection around the country. I learned about his social connection index and the six points of connection. There were two points on that list that I need to work on: (1) a neighborhood contact (2) a third place.

When I first moved to Sarasota, my building had frequent events where I met many of my neighbors. But after COVID, they all moved out of the building. I have not focussed on meeting new neighbors, which I intend to change in 2026.

I would also say that I do not have a “Third Place” as defined by this index. I do belong to a couple of meetups and online communities. I am also a member of the local Toastmasters and Art Center. These types of communities are covered by other items in the six points of connection.

What I like about a Third Place is that it isn’t as tied to people or time, but more to the place itself (where you might find new people with a common interest). The idea is that you could pop in at any time for serendipitous connection. The classic examples are a church or senior center, but those aren’t right for me.

I have been considering rejoining Crossfit for access to barbells, but I might also meet other like-minded people. It’s possible that this helps me find accountability as well.