Moving somewhere new can feel like starting all over again. New surroundings, unfamiliar faces and the question of where, or even if, you’ll fit in. But what if belonging isn’t something we have to wait for? What if it’s something we can create for ourselves?
When I moved to the beautiful Southern Highlands from Sydney, I expected there might be a period of adjustment. After all, moving to a new community can be daunting, particularly when you’ve spent years building a life somewhere else.
But surprisingly, I didn’t find it challenging at all.
I’ve always been a bit of a homebody. I love being at home, creating, working on projects and enjoying my own company. I wasn’t someone who needed a busy social calendar, so I didn’t arrive with a great expectation of suddenly having a whole new circle of friends.
What I discovered, however, was something quite wonderful. Connection seemed to happen naturally, almost as though I was exactly where I was meant to be.
Sometimes Community Finds You
One of the unexpected joys of moving to the Southern Highlands was the wonderful women I met through my shop.
There is something special about the conversations that happen when someone walks through your door. What might begin as a chat about a beautiful piece of clothing, a crystal or something for the home can quickly turn into a conversation about life, family, relationships or what brought someone to the Highlands.
I began meeting the most interesting women, all with their own stories, experiences and reasons for being here.
And without really planning it, I was building a community.
Of course, as I got to know the area, I also became more aware of the established social circles that exist in regional communities. Like anywhere, the Southern Highlands has its cliques, and I understand that for some women, finding a way into an existing group can feel difficult.
Fortunately, that wasn’t my personal experience, but it did make me think more deeply about the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels welcome.
Because surely belonging shouldn’t depend on who you already know?
Creating My Own Way to Belong
Looking back, I realise that starting The Highland Woman® was, in many ways, my own way of creating belonging.
Rather than waiting to be invited into a community, I decided to bring one together.
When I first started the club, I made a conscious effort to meet new women. In fact, for months I was meeting around two women a day!
Coffee after coffee, conversation after conversation, I discovered an extraordinary collection of women living in the Southern Highlands.
Women who had built businesses, raised families, experienced loss, reinvented themselves, followed dreams, changed careers or simply wanted to make the most of this next chapter of their lives.
And what struck me was how much we all had in common.
On the surface, our lives might look completely different. But underneath, we share so many of the same things.
The same worries. The same vulnerabilities. The same joys. The same desire to be understood, appreciated and connected.
It reminded me that we are rarely as different from one another as we think.
And sometimes all it takes is one conversation to discover that.
The Magic of Meeting Someone New
Belonging has shaped absolutely everything about The Highland Woman.
I believe there is a particular kind of magic in meeting someone for the first time.
You arrive as strangers, perhaps feeling a little uncertain, and then someone shares a story, you discover something in common, or you find yourselves laughing about the same thing.
Suddenly, something shifts.
That person is no longer a stranger.
To me, this is one of the most beautiful parts of being human. We discover ourselves through our experiences with other people. We learn, grow and expand our understanding of the world through the connections we make.
And the wonderful thing is that you never quite know what a new connection might bring.
It could be a friendship, a new opportunity, a different perspective or simply a lovely conversation that brightens your day.
Not every connection needs to become a lifelong friendship to be meaningful.
Sometimes the experience itself is enough.
This is why The Highland Woman isn’t simply about events or networking. It’s about creating opportunities for women to discover, experience and connect with one another in ways that feel genuine and enjoyable.
A beautiful lunch, an inspiring conversation, a shared experience or an unexpected introduction can become the beginning of something much bigger.
What I've Learned About Belonging
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that belonging doesn’t necessarily come from being part of a particular group.
It comes from feeling comfortable enough to be yourself.
It’s knowing you don’t have to impress anyone, prove anything or fit into someone else’s idea of who you should be.
And perhaps most importantly, it’s recognising that everyone else is navigating life too.
We all have our stories. We all have our insecurities. We all want to feel that we matter.
When we remember that, meeting new people becomes less about whether they’ll like us and more about the possibility of discovering something wonderful about each other.
I think that’s a much more interesting way to approach life.
New to the Southern Highlands? Here's Where I'd Start
If you’ve recently moved to the Southern Highlands, or anywhere new for that matter, my biggest piece of advice is simple.
Don’t wait for connection to come to you. Get out and create it.
You don’t need to become the most outgoing person in the room or fill your diary with social engagements. Just start with small experiences that feel comfortable and interesting to you.
Join a local club, become a regular at your favourite café, visit an art gallery opening or sign up at the local gym. I’ve always thought the gym is one of the best places to meet people because you naturally begin seeing the same faces.
Get to know your local shopkeepers. Have a conversation with someone at the markets. Volunteer for a charity or attend a community event.
And don’t underestimate the power of simply saying hello.
One of the lovely things about living in the Southern Highlands is the extraordinary mix of people who call this region home. There are creatives, entrepreneurs, professionals, farmers, families and women who have arrived here at all different stages of life.
There is so much to discover if you’re willing to be curious.
And remember, you don’t have to find your entire community in one go.
One person, one conversation, one experience at a time is a wonderful place to start.
Belonging Begins With Connection
When I think about why I created The Highland Woman, it always comes back to one thing.
I wanted to create the kind of community where women could walk into a room, perhaps not knowing anyone, and leave feeling that they had discovered something new.
Maybe it was a friendship. Maybe it was an idea. Maybe it was simply the lovely feeling of having spent time with people who made them feel welcome.
Because at the heart of it all, I believe we have far more in common than we realise.
And in a world where so much of our connection happens through screens, there is something increasingly precious about making the time to meet, talk, laugh and share experiences in person.
Belonging isn’t always about finding your people.
Sometimes it’s about creating the opportunities for your people to find you.
And that’s exactly what The Highland Woman is here to do.
If you’re looking to meet new people, discover inspiring experiences and feel more connected in the Southern Highlands, we’d love to welcome you to The Highland Woman®.
Discover the club at thehighlandwoman.com.