Kenna Griffin’s Journey

I came to England in July 2021 from Colorado, USA. I had just finished a very wild couple of years living in a small rural town in the Rocky Mountains. Though beautiful, it was a four-hour drive to the main city and therefore could be isolating at times. I loved being able to hike, mountain bike, motorcycle, and ski at the drop of a hat, but I was navigating a career change and several challenging relationships. Several important people in my life were struggling with anxiety and depression, and I didn’t want to be in the boat adding to the collective mental health burden. When I finally fid get to the doctor for antidepressants, they made me hallucinate. Instead, I decided to have a go at making some environmental changes; I split up with my partner of two years, sold most of my things, and took advantage of the opportunity to finish my Masters in education from abroad on my Irish passport.

Over the summer I stayed with family on the South Coast while lining up teaching jobs. In the midst of the job search, I took 5 days to walk 100 miles on the South Downs Way. On the second day, I got lost, ambled back onto the trail and fell into step with two teachers who were also walking the Way. It turned out that one of them was a headteacher looking for a Teaching Assistant. After the walk was over, I took the train to London for a proper interview, got the post, and started the next day!

Moving to London felt like someone had flipped a switch; the city felt like a present to be unwrapped, one neighbourhood at a time. As i cycled around, desperately listening to Google maps on my headphones for directions to my next Airbnb, flat viewing or Hinge date, my brain lit up with light, colour, ideas, and energy. I didn’t feel constantly tired anymore, and I looked forward to social events.

I was having a ball, but I really wanted to prioritise finding a community. By the time I finally settled into my flat in November, I had been casing RTR for a couple of weeks. Over pizza and a pint with my mom, I had watched a few individuals striding through the Wheatsheaf clad in high-viz and running gear, checked the time, and used my context clues. This was the running group I’d read about online! But, it took me two more weeks to pull it together to show up. I was nervous about finding them in the pub because I couldn’t sort out where the meeting point was. And then when I did summon the courage to show up to run with strangers, I got the time wrong and walked in late. The third time was a charm, and I caught up with the crew just before Christmas. I don’t think I’ve missed a run since New Years. There is no barrier to entry like cost/online forms/tryouts, the runs feel like a natural hangout where I usually forget that I am exercising, and the group truly feels like a team. I had been looking for a ‘Third place’, somewhere that isn’t home or work where we exchange ideas, have a good time, and build relationships; a cornerstone of community building. Each week we show up as individuals, then quickly fall into step with our modular third place as a unit. I can only speak for myself, but I think the fact that so many of us return indicates that we all leave feeling better than when we arrived, and further entwined in a positive, supportive community space. I’m incredibly grateful to be part of this moving space, the leaders who guide it, and the individuals who create it each week. I run with SW17 RTR group.

Kenna x