08 October . 2024
We Bought a New Home: Now What?!
We bought a home: Now what?!
Whew. Buying the house was a whirlwind. Glad the ink is dry, and the home is officially yours? Oh, absolutely. Now that most of your tasks are squared away and the dozens of moving boxes are folded up nicely out by the recycling bin: it’s time to find friends. That’s the easy part, right?
You’re in Tehaleh. There’s no sign of the fabled “Seattle Freeze” here. Neighbors smile and wave, you see groups chatting in the morning over coffee, kids ask politely if they can pet your dog...there’s an inherent social atmosphere here.
But as a newcomer? Let’s be honest, it can be a bit daunting. So how do you join in and find your community?
Tap into your favorite hobbies
Over the years there have been moments where you think ‘oh, these are my people.’ Whether it’s realizing you and a thousand other concertgoers are wearing some version of the same outfit at a show or you’re waiting on the sidelines of a pickleball court, and you get swept up into a conversation about why Hallmark movies are, indeed, an art of their own.
When you surround your free time in activities that you really enjoy doing, you feel comfortable and can find a pathway to being social far easier. Plus, your hobbies keep bringing you back and you’ll meet all kinds of different folks. More likely? You’ll see the same people returning and get to know them more and more each time. And then boom, you’re hosting a dinner party with all your new friends.
Maybe it’s tough to pin down a hobby you want to pursue. Do you like riding bikes? Refurbishing old furniture? Bringing your dogs to dog parks? Knitting? Buying and selling vintage clothes? Coffee? Beer? Wine? Food? Books? Ultimate frisbee? Pickleball? Kickball? Coaching youth sports? Geocaching? Hiking? Trail running? Off-roading? Car shows? Flying kites? How about drones? Woodworking?!
There are tons of groups available and all it takes is a little bit of research into your locale. And sometimes the thing you like is so specific that it’s hard to track down fellow hobbyists by just being a passive observer.
That’s when you can take initiative and start your own meet ups. Maybe you’re an award-winning spoon carver and made a name for yourself in Yakima back in ‘08...and you know what, maybe there’s somebody out in Tehaleh that might be the next big spoon carver (though they may not know it yet.) Reach out on forums and Facebook groups! There’s countless hobbies and some neighbors are willing to try any or all of them.
Find a volunteering opportunity.
Summon the goodness in yourself and meet amazing people in the process. You’ll discover a bunch of volunteers who have seen and lived lives beyond your imagination. There’s always somebody willing to help make the community a better place and when you’re surrounded by a positive and proactive goal that you believe in, chances are that you’ll unveil a ton of new friends along the way.
Here are some volunteering groups in Tehaleh:
- The original social networking site: Facebook (Group: Residents of Tehaleh)
- HOA events. Take a look at the HOA Newsletter. They’re on the pulse of organizing events and would be able to guide you to the right resources for volunteers. Community events make it easy to meet new faces in Tehaleh.
- Keep the trails clean. Pierce County Parks is an excellent resource for finding volunteering opportunities. Now that the Trek Bike Park is open, you can help keep the trails in great condition or you could even join a Tehaleh focused trail cleanup group.
- Beach cleanup. When you want an excuse to get to the beach, a quick drive for volunteering has never failed. Puget Sound Keeper has been an active group for over 40 years.
Other local options:
- Helping out at the Pierce County Food Banks
- Donation centers
- Get in touch with a Tehaleh Resident Ambassador. They have extensive knowledge of all the great things happening in Tehaleh, and have tons of community connections to boot! And after a year of living in Tehaleh, you become eligible to become an Ambassador yourself, where you can share your growing knowledge of Tehaleh with future residents. It all comes full circle.
Community is everything.
Being in a community is more than just buying a house. You get to contribute your sage wisdom and skills and humor with people who want to hear it! It’s exciting to be a member of a group that’s happy to have you.
Tehaleh is a special place in that so many people moved here in order to set a baseline for a fulfilling lifestyle. Participate in everything and anything. Rediscover who you are. Your interests will shift and change over the years, your family will grow alongside you, and the Tehaleh community will support you no matter the endeavor.