After eight exciting years, I lost my purpose in the pandemic.*

And it was so unexpected, just like the shutdown. You can probably relate. As a planner by nature, I was caught totally off guard.

But it’s complicated. On one hand, I was happy that people were heading outdoors and discovering nature’s healing gifts, close to home. But on the other hand, they did that on their own without my help and encouragement.

So now what? I was really afraid I wouldn’t be able to find another purpose that felt so right, that would energize me as much.

How could I make a difference in the post-pandemic world. What would that look like?

I had to take a deep breath and shift my thinking, consider other options, and look for the Big Picture. It took a while but there it was – right in front of me all the time.

Nature is a feature of PLACE, and every place has a story. As a locavore, place was what I really focused on.

We celebrate a specific place by eating fresh food grown by local farmers, supporting small local shops, artists, and businesses, and learning local history.

I named my business,  Adventures with a Locavore  because I believed in that concept and love adventures.

Then I learned that where you live, has a huge impact on your happiness and well being.

So I thought, teaching people about the science and art of “place” was true to my core, and no one else seemed to be doing it – an opportunity for my business, Adventures with A Locavore, to grow. And place was a topic big enough for me to study for a lifetime. I was curious and believe other people will be, too.

Coming out of the pandemic, knowing you can work from anywhere, there is a broadband today. Many people are itching to move.

People are thinking about upsizing in the suburbs or downsizing in the city, living in a small town or a cabin in the woods or closer to family.

So, how do you find that place where you truly belong.

I thought about my own place, my own life, and all the places I’ve lived – 10 places in four states. How about you?

In Denver. The mountains were wonderful – a place to escape –  trout fishing picnics in the summer, skiing in the winter. But the perfect weather had me missing those grey days that make you really appreciate the sun. Another delightful place, Arbor Michigan, a college town, something was also missing for me. I found it in Chicago on the river, and the big lake.

I thought about growing up in the new suburb of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, being carved out of cornfields. Not much else to do there in my jaded teenage mind, but the Purgatory Creek was magical, constantly changing throughout the seasons and it flowed near Prince’s Graffiti Bridge. It was a special place you could find and share.

That’s when I realized how important being near water was for me to be happy.

Where I live now is the perfect place for me. I live in the creative, urban neighborhood on the edge of the river gorge in St. Paul, surrounded by nature and history with family nearby. I’m home.

What’s your perfect place?

You can find that place where you belong too. Come with me we’ll have adventures. You can learn about good places to move, and whether you stay, or whether you go, how to put down roots in your place. that place where you belong.

– Joan

*see Joan’s “before the Pandemic” story here