Right now, while we can’t safely gather together, it can be difficult to feel part of a community. When most of our interactions are through a computer screen, it’s tough to support and inspire each other, celebrate special occasions, and discover new experiences together. But our stories in this episode will explore the ways in which our storytellers managed to do just that.

Our first story is from Emily Levesque, an award-winning astrophysicist and a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. As telescopes around the world shut down due to the pandemic, Emily longs for the shared experience of gazing up at the sky with others. (Find images and transcripts of all of our stories on our website.)

After Emily’s story, our host speaks with clinical psychologist and affective neuroscientist Aaron Heller about how new and diverse experiences (or a lack there of!) affect our mental health.

Stay tuned for THREE more stories about Community in Part 2 on Monday!

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