The Social Studyz newsletter is a mix of weekly tools, updates on how we're navigating the in-between, and the occasional peek behind the curtain as we build this in real-time.
Hi in-betweener,
This week: our first (!!) reader feature, a formula for real connection, and last chance to sign up for sake tasting, our final pilot event.
🌀 what we’re spiraling out about this week
spiraling thoughts are the ones we think on repeat, or that send us straight down a rabbit hole at 3am. Each week, one of us shares, so we can all normalize the spiral instead of pretending we're not having one.
🚨🚨this week we have our first in-betweener share 🚨🚨
In college, I fell deep into my first big love. This was the first person to really know me, and our break-up was extremely difficult. For the rest of college, we developed an unhealthy "will-they-won't-they" dynamic until I couldn't take the ambiguity and stopped all communication. After graduation, there would be the occasional invite to their birthday. When questioned about it, they'd respond, "You're someone I always want in my life," which were easy sentences to push away from my mind at that stage of life.
Cut to twenty years later. Partner, career, kid, a mortgage's worth of emotional stability. I saw something that reminded me of my ex, texted them out of the blue, and learned they’ve been quietly keeping digital tabs on me. Also — we have kids months apart and I have the unsolicited photos to prove it. Parts of them are exactly the same. Parts of them are a stranger. The spiral begins.
have you ever gotten a "you're someone I always want in my life" text (or the equivalent)?
🧮 the connection equation
a tip or practice we’ve tried in our quest to build community — broken down for you to steal
Last weekend was our second field trip — we prepped for the solar eclipse with group reflection, a v safe ritual burning, and a life-giving sound bath.
Everyone answered the same two questions: what are we ready to bring forward? What do we need to let go of to get there?
Sometimes answering those honestly in front of near-strangers can be soul-shaking and mortifying. And then it's not. Somewhere between "here's what I'm actually dealing with" and the sound bowls starting up, the group became in-betweeners and stopped being a group of strangers.
That's kind of the whole equation, actually — you say the true thing before you feel ready, someone else does too, and now you're building something instead of just attending it.
Sharing questions to support us all in sharing vulnerably the next time we're with a loved one. Steal one (or five):
what's a challenge you're facing right now?
what's a topic or interest you're learning about?
what's a small win you haven't told anyone yet?
1–10, how are you actually doing?
what's a goal you have in mind that also scares you a little?
📊 survey says
yearbooks love a "never change." We love a good reason to. Here's what you told us, and what we changed.
100% of voters said they would be interested in attending a future event at Kuruvungna Springs, so we’ll be adding it back into the rotation for our fall calendar.
🌟 come sit with us
our first round of gatherings - co-creating and testing one spot at a time
As a reminder, we need your help to start testing in-person experiences. We're hosting the last event in our pilot phase, and these first gatherings are co-creations, built by us, together, one at a time. Every gathering right now is discounted while we test.
And because each gathering is shaped by the in-betweeners who show up to it, no two will ever feel quite the same.
Grab a spot - last pilot offering!
🗓️Sunday, Aug 16— An Afternoon at Sake School: Pour One Out for Small Talk
Looking forward to meeting you in the soupy middle,
Lauren