Happy New Year, friends.
Winter has been a season of transition. Curren, the boys, and I have moved to Elkins, West Virginia—a small town in the mountains where the Tygart River keeps time. The change feels right. Slower, quieter, a little less connected in all the ways I’ve been craving.
Getting settled into a new place takes time, but this town has welcomed us in ways that feel deeply human. Neighbors, new friends, and family have shared meals, baked us homemade bread, taught us how to cross country ski, and handed down winter gear for the kids. When our basement flooded and we had no heat or hot water in freezing temperatures, people opened their homes so we could shower and do laundry. The kindness here has been humbling.
Elkins has about 6,755 people. If you’re familiar with A Pattern Language, you’ll know that small towns around this size tend to foster connection. They’re big enough for diversity of thought, small enough for people to still feel heard.
“Individuals lose their effective voice in communities larger than 10k people. Organize government to give local control in groups of 5k-10k. Use natural or historical boundaries as often as possible to mark these communities.”