We spent the first part of April in residence at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. It offered a chance to reconnect with students, faculty, and staff who I met last summer when I joined them in Northern Ireland. It gave me the opportunity to work a little closer with Kaitlin, Kate, and Sawyer, who are finishing up their junior year at Willamette and will join A Peace of My Mind as summer interns. And it was a week to engage deeply on campus, with classroom visits, gallery tours, and a studio series on belonging.

Our visit was sponsored by and coordinated through The Conversation Project, an interdisciplinary initiative to cultivate capacity for honest, transformative dialogue.

And in a busy season, we built in a little time to play. To hike along the coast, to gather for shared meals, and to laugh. Because belonging is rooted in the hard work of making sure that everyone has what they need to thrive, and also in the joy of community.

We got a little press coverage while we were in town. KATU, the ABC affiliate in Portland had me on their morning show for a conversation. And the Spokesman Review in Salem did a great piece on our engagement.

In the end, we had almost 150 people who stopped by our studio to answer the question, “When have you felt a sense of belonging?”