It’s seems that every year my unspoken New Year’s resolution is to write…but I haven’t been able to make it stick. I happened to read my 2023 New Year’s post yesterday, when completing an application for TrustedHousesitters (which wanted my LinkedIn profile). Ah, my professional profile to show I’m trustworthy. Does it? I hope so? Or perhaps they’ll end up here (if so, hello! I’m trustworthy, please let me pet sit for you!).

I did manage a few posts in 2023, but only one in 2024 and none in 2025. Well, 2025 was … a lot! So much change! OK, but here we are now. In the present moment and all that. Let’s go…!

Why Do Things Come in Threes?

In marketing, it’s always 3 things: X, Y, and Z. People can’t remember more than that, and if you can distill it into 3 things, you understand the product.

With Cadbury Creme Eggs, my favorite seasonal candy, I purchase (and sometimes eat) them in 3s. One…not enough. 4…feels gluttonous. Ah, but 6…feels practical. Two seatings of 3. Very reasonable.

And I know you’re already thinking about celebrity deaths. Yes, they tend of come in threes. Weird quirk of the cosmos? Or our brains…? Not sure.

Three Circles of Friendship

In my first 3 months (see what I did there?) of life as a nomadic retiree, I lived in a new town, in a new country, and needed to make new friends.

Organically, three circles of friendship grew, based on identity , neighborhood , and activity.

Identity

Week one, we happened into a local restaurant for Open Mic Night and dinner. The owner immediately sat down and introduced herself as a lesbian, and appointed herself our guide to the community.

We jumped into the community through those weekly Open Mic connections and also through organized lesbian meetups for things we like to do, like shoot pool and dance. One thing I learned when I came out as a lesbian, is that lesbians are individual people (surprising, right?), just like everyone else, and so you won’t always get along with everyone.

Luckily, we met a lot of fun people and especially clicked with one couple who invited us to join them to see a band. It was a magical night and I’m hoping we stay in their orbit for a long time.

Neighborhood

Week two, on the way out of our new gym, I met two friends carrying yoga mats. I asked them if they’d been to pilates class (I’d never tried pilates and was curious). We just chatted in the parking lot and then I headed home…right behind them! Turns out, they’re our neighbors, and we started to go to pilates regularly with them. We all clicked, and they swept us into the neighborhood community.

Same observation applies to neighbors: they’re all individuals. Luckily, the vibe in our neighborhood is overwhelmingly welcoming. We get friendly waves and chats whenever we walk around, and consistent “let us know if you need anything”s (and yes, we did — I mean, what AirBnb has a funnel?). And even though we’re renting, they’ve included us in the weekly socials, which has been a wonderful way to connect (and sample many local dishes and some delicious cheeses (thanks to my wife!).

Our two first “besties” are still our besties, but now we have book & music loving friends and sporty activity friends, too.

Activity

Week three, we joined the climbing gym (yes, “active retirement” is our mantra). I met two folks, half my age, who showed me the ropes (he he he, pun intended), and then invited me to join them climbing, and eventually, skiing.

Making friends of all ages is a pro tip I learned from my grandmother-in-law, who died on her own terms, in the home she raised her family in, at the fine age of 96 — in part, thanks to the friendships she’d cultivated across generations.

Climbing and skiing with people younger and stronger is keeping me young, and getting perspectives on the country and culture from their lens is often different than in the over-55 neighborhood circle. Keeps the mind nimble, too.

Where to go from here?

The hard part of being a nomad is soon we’re leaving this town, this country — on to the next. Will we keep our connections from here? Will we find new friends? Oh, and don’t forget the old friends from our “home town”, who we miss on our travels. Periodic texts and holiday visits and come-visit-us trips have kept those going. Will the same work for our newer friends? Time will tell…