Happy Birthday, Transplant.
This week we turned one. One year old.
Over that year we’ve grown from a blog to an organization, 40 friends in a backyard to hundreds of friends around town. What started out as just telling stories, has transformed into building community and now is evolving into something larger, with more potential than I had ever hoped for.
It was sparked by an idea, inspired by the city and the people around me. When those people came together on a fateful night in November 2013, I knew this idea had legs. Over the past year, Transplant has grown organically, blossoming into its own with love and nurturing not only from me, but also the people who get it, believe in it and are excited by it.
Diane joined me from the beginning as a Socialite, and now she has become my partner in this journey. Tuesdays we brainstorm, take hikes or adventures, discuss the potential and how to create something bigger and better. How to make ourselves happy while making others happy. How to have a larger, more meaningful impact on the community. How to bring people together creatively. How to inspire conversations and collaborations. How to share the amazing things happening in this small city and the stories of the people who are doing them.
Lancaster has been a catalyst in empowering me in my own creativity, and the people I meet along the way continue to drive my passion for this town and the wellbeing of Transplants and Locals.
So thank you, all of you. Everyone who’s been there from day one and those of you who have just found us. Those of us who read our blog or watch our calendar. Those of you who attend every event. Those of you who give us guidance and words of wisdom. Those of you have believed in me from the beginning.
All I can say is that it’s just going to keep getting better and better. We’re going to tell more stories. We’re going to have more events. We’re going to give you a place to go. We’re going to go places with you. We’re going to welcome you to town. We’re going to work together with you.
Transplants, welcome to you new home.
Locals, welcome to the place you’ve always known.
Read my very first entry, here.