Reflections from Olive Tree Writing Club Season 5 Kickoff

I’m so grateful for this community. Through it, I’ve met some of my closest friends, people who continue to inspire me every day. This group is part of what made New York feel like home, giving me not only a sense of belonging but also a sense of purpose.

One of the reasons I moved to New York in the first place was to find a writing community like this. Little did I know that I’d start one myself. I had no plans of becoming a community organizer—just a desire to solve my own problem.

Yesterday’s kickoff was a beautiful mix of old and new faces—some friends who’ve been with us since 2022, others who joined last year, and new folks just finding their place. That’s what I love about this group: it’s always evolving, yet it feels so grounded.

I’ve written about this before, but I’m drawn to the kind of people who enjoy writing. This group not only lets me see my writing friends every week but also makes it easy to meet new ones. I can’t imagine what my life would look like without it.

Recently, a friend told me, “You’re building a writing community in one of the greatest writing cities in the world. That’s impressive—and you’ve kept it going for two and a half years.” He’s right. It’s not easy to commit to something and see it through especially in NYC. There were a few times when I thought we were going to shut it down. But I’m so glad we didn’t.