Looking back on the first R&F event

I am someone who daydreams ... a lot. I find this habit is less prevalent when I am content with my life, but when there are big things to look forward to -- like an upcoming vacation, for example -- I will dream about what I want it to look like.

I'm sure I'm not unique in this sense. So, as you can imagine, despite my best efforts, I had all these dreams about what my first event should be like, and naturally, it caused a lot of anxiety. What if it doesn't go well? What if no one talks to each other? What if it's awkward? What if I don't have enough food and drink? What if no one even shows?

Well, it's been a month since the first Rove and Frolic event, and I still feel butterflies when I think about it because it went better than I even dreamed it would. The way each woman showed up courageously inspired me so much. Some came solo, some came with a friend or a group of friends, some knew me and some I'd only ever seen on Instagram. Whether they came solo or not, knew me or not, each person made an effort to connect with others, and that was such a beautiful thing to witness. It would have been much easier for the people who knew each other to stay in groups or for the people who knew me to only speak to me, but I was so encouraged by the way everybody made an effort to mingle and put themselves out there.

It's what these events are all about -- courageously showing up and experiencing new parts of the city while making new friends. It's not an easy task, but each of the ladies who showed up that night made it look so effortless. And honestly, it was so fun and sweet not because of the venue or the activity or even my perfectly curated playlist (though that did help set the vibes), but because of how authentic and kind and friendly each of the ladies were. The success of the event is all thanks to them. (But also, Accessories of Old hosted us SO WELL. Truly such an incredible business ran by such kind and helpful staff.)

So, why did I even do it? Why host an event for women? For me, community is vital. It's a key contributor to my health and wellbeing, and living in a city like London, it's even more important to have good and supportive people in your corner who know and love you for you. So, when you don't have that to lean on, what do you do? Loneliness is such an issue for so many in this city that even the Mayor has a campaign against loneliness (look at the posters on tube stations ... you'll see them everywhere). There's no denying that as fun and exciting as London is, it's a difficult place to meet people and form strong connections. True friendships rooted in shared experiences, intentionality and vulnerability is what I desire for myself and other women, but it's not easy to come across. Busy and conflicting schedules, long commutes, cost of living ... these are all things that can get in our way and make us feel like we don't have the time or energy to invest in friendships even if we really want to. There's this running joke that in order to meet up with anyone in London, you have to propose dates 3 months in advance (well, actually, that's probably not unique to London and is very simply a reality of adulthood). Meeting people requires sacrifice; you may have to sacrifice your routine, comfort, time, energy and money. I'm sure each of the ladies who came to this first event had to sacrifice all the above, but it seemed pretty worth it to me. That's why I do it; I believe in the power of community and friendship, and I want every woman to have that in their life.

I feel so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to create spaces for women to find their community and combat the loneliness that tries to creep in. So, thank you to all who showed up. Thank you to those who couldn't come but supported me through prayer and well wishes on the day of the event. Thank you to those who encouraged me when the stress of it all got me down and had me doubting if this was even something I should pursue.

I'm so excited for the future of our Rove and Frolic community. I'm looking forward to the next event on May 17th. We'll be doing one of my favourite activities: charity shopping. But more than the thrifted summer dresses, I am looking forward to connecting with new people, giggling over cups of coffee and strutting out of the dressing rooms as we ask our new best friends, "don't you love it?!" I see this being a space for women to really open up, branch out and experience joy and true friendship.

You can explore the full photo album from the event here: https://www.roveandfrolic.com/event-list