Cam facetimed me from the parking lot after hosting the Austin walk.
Big smile. Still slightly sweaty from the Texas sun. The kind of face he makes when something happened that he can't wait to hand to me.
I already had jerky and a banana on the counter because I know how he gets after five miles: ravenous, buzzing, already forming observations and insights about the conversations he just had.
We ended up at our favorite Mexican spot an hour later, and somewhere between sitting down and ordering, he told me about a guy. First timer. At the very end, in the parking lot, this man walked up to Cam and said:
"I didn't realize how much I needed this. I have a lot of friends from college. I like my friends from college. But I don't want them to be the last friends I ever make."
I put my fork down.
Because I knew that sentence. Not from hearing it… from living it.
There is a specific kind of social ache. It's not loneliness exactly. You have friends, active group chats, and a full life by every reasonable measure. But something has quietly closed. Some door to social possibility that used to swing open constantly — in every direction, without any effort from you.
One day, after years of checking all the boxes, a quiet thought starts floating through your mind. “Something is missing... but I’m not sure what.” You look around the room. And you notice the door hasn’t swung open in a while.
The ache shows up mostly on Sunday evenings. Or when you're scrolling your phone looking for someone to call and realizing you don't know who you'd even want to talk to. The one that sits underneath the perfectly full life and whispers:
“Is this it?”
What I've come to believe after four years, 16+ cities, and more parking lot conversations than I can count is this:
It’s not a connection problem.
It's an environment problem.
We slowly removed the architecture that made friendship easy, and then looked around and wondered why making friends as an adult feels so hard.
This week is about that ache, where it actually comes from, and what we built because of it. 🧡
From our walking villages in 16+ cities around the world:
New route in Detroit this week. Different path, same magic. The Detroit squad keeps showing up. 🧡
Another Saturday in Atlanta. The squad is getting bigger and the conversations keep getting better. 🧡
Columbus took a detour along the Olentangy River on the way back. Small group, great conversations, beautiful path. 🌿
Walk #10 in Aveiro, Portugal. Largest one to date. The word is spreading one conversation at a time. 🇵🇹
(Don’t see your city? We post the photos in each Meetup group after the walk. Otherwise this email would be longer than a CVS receipt.)
🏆 In London, Cristina shared that several regulars reflected on how much lighter, more energized, and more socially confident they’ve become since joining the walks. One person said they’ve become a noticeably better listener.
🏆 In Detroit, Izzy shared that the walks have sparked an unusual amount of movement and playfulness, from spontaneous sprint races to hopscotch and first-time scooter rides. Here’s to making adults feel playful again. 🧡
🏆 In Austin, one woman reflected that spaces like these matter because people arrive as strangers but leave having said truths out loud they normally only carry privately. A group of men walking behind her said, “YES! That’s it! That was something I’ve been feeling but couldn’t find the words for.”
If you nodded along to any of that, the full piece has a name for what you're feeling…
And the invisible thing causing it.
And if you're ready for the room at the end of the hallway, The Board is here.
This week on The Board Walks, people brought these topics:
“How do you know if you are chasing love or approval?”
“When is confidence a strength and when does it become a limitation?”
“What is the lifecycle of a friendship, and how do you know when one has run its course?”
“How do you cultivate friendships when living abroad, and how do you let go of ones that no longer feel mutual?”
“What's something you love that most people hate, or vice versa?”
Screenshot these. Steal with pride. Bring one to your next dinner party to shift the conversation from “meh” to marvelous.
Quick hits:
🤝 We're ready to welcome long-term Legacy Sponsors. Brands who want to fuel our mission to make real connection a weekly habit again. Think Nike, New Balance, Patagonia: companies that believe in movement, community, and revitalizing third places. If you have a contact at a brand like this and can make a warm intro, we'd be so grateful. Just reply to this email. 🧡
🌍 This week, we got walk host applications from Sweden, Hawaii, and a small town in Washington. We've noticed a real uptick in international applications. A lot of them mention the same thing: a friend shared one of our posts. So if you've ever reposted, sent a screenshot, or said "you'd love this" to someone… thank you. It's working.
🔓 A whole new world of social possibility awaits. The Trail Tale this week is the honest version of why we built The Board. If it resonated, the room at the end of the hallway is open. Apply →
It’s not a connection problem.
It’s an environment problem.
And we’ve been devoted to solving it, every week since 2022.
Come feel the nostalgic buzz of college orientation energy with us.
Have a whimsical week,
Head Gardeners of The Board Walks
P.s. Know someone at a wellness brand like Nike, Patagonia, Lululemon, or New Balance? We're building our Legacy Sponsor program. A warm intro would mean the world. Reply to this email and let us know. 🧡
