Jun 8, 2016

WHO you are, NOT what you do #OFDSeattle


I can still remember moving to Seattle in the Summer of 2013. My ex had accepted a job in the city and I cried as he told me the move would be official. As we touched down in Seattle, I had no clue what to expect and was admittedly closed off and sad to be leaving Chicago, my home, at the start of #SummertimeChi.

Those first 6 months were brutal. I lost count of how many times I cried in our overpriced SLU apartment longing for home. I also realized how much I leaned on my friends and family as a source of strength and support. Here I was, across the country in a new city where I only knew 1 person and was on the edge of losing my sanity and social life each day.

It took about 6 months to find a job I liked, start building a group of friends, and turning my "hate" for Seattle into a "neutral" feeling. It was baby steps, but those initial feelings are still fresh in my mind. That was my motivation for applying to be an Our Family Dinner host for Seattle. I wanted to help foster a sense of community for people in the city, creating a family feel for those who found themselves a long way from home, as well as embracing the Seattle natives who were typically closed off to transplants.

Our Family Dinner - Portland

With that said, I'm so honored to be one of the hosts of Our Family Dinner Seattle, which is launching our first Seattle dinner this upcoming Saturday, June 11th! People have asked me "What makes OFD different from anything else?" and the answer is this -- Our Family Dinner is focused on creating and nurturing a community of people based on WHO you are and NOT what you do.

There are more black transplants in Seattle than actual Seattle natives, so the majority of people connect surrounding their careers... which is great, but can also be limiting. Our Family Dinner focuses on removing those boundaries and connecting people based on who they are, not what they do... and I'm so happy for it. We are SO much more than our jobs, and I love opportunities to meet new people I otherwise may never meet.

Our Family Dinner - Portland
All are welcomed with open arms to the 3-course dinner and there are only 2 rules: 1) No phones during the event and 2) No talking about work! It's so simple.

Of course we live in a connected world, so we encourage everyone to post away using our hashtag #OFDSeattle during the cocktail hour and after the event... but DURING the event we want everyone to be open and engaged, so you'll get a social media break.

Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

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Instagram: @OurFamilyDinner
Twitter: @FamilyDinnerOrg




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