Devin Bowermaster

If making friends feels harder than it used to, you are not imagining it. It is genuinely difficult for almost everyone, and understanding why takes some of the sting out of it. Why it got harder School and university handed us built-in friends: the same people, in the same place, over and over. Adulthood strips that out. We are busier, more spread out, and no longer thrown together by circumstance. On top of that, the vulnerability of putting yourself forward gets scarier the older you get,...

Being sober is hard. Being sober and queer, in a community where so much socializing happens around bars and nightlife, can feel isolating in a particular way. But there is a real, affirming sober LGBTQ community Boise can offer — and you don't have to choose between your recovery and your people. Finding sober queer community in the Treasure Valley Isolation is one of the hardest parts of both being queer in a smaller city and staying sober, and the two compound each other. A social circle...

For a lot of queer people, "chosen family" isn't a sweet phrase on a tote bag — it's survival, joy, and the difference between feeling alone and feeling held. But if you don't have one yet, the idea can feel out of reach. So what is chosen family, really, and how do you build one? What Chosen Family Really Means Chosen family is the network of people who show up for you like family should — by choice, not obligation. Friends who become your emergency contact, your holiday, your people. For...