From Online Community to Real-Life Connection, How Social Media Can Build Meaningful Relationships

Some connections don’t start with algorithms or perfectly planned content. They start with people quietly showing up. I met Kym Hughes, the creator of The Dear Viv Letters, through a group called Activate Her Awesome.

It’s a space created for women in their 50s, 60s and 70s who didn’t grow up with technology, didn’t build businesses online in their twenties, and often feel like social media is something they’re meant to “just know how to do” by now. Many of us don’t.

How an Online Community Created Real Connection

Activate Her Awesome isn’t about going viral or learning the latest platform trick. It’s about community. About reassurance. About knowing you’re not the only one staring at a screen wondering what on earth to post or whether what you’re doing even matters.

For me, that mattered more than any tutorial ever could.

From Online Encouragement to Real Life

In that space, Kym and I connected quietly. Two women supporting one another’s work and finding comfort in knowing we weren’t alone in trying to navigate this modern way of showing up.

Kym shared her project, The Dear Viv Letters. They are a 12 month letter series delivered by post, set in 1950s coastal Queensland. Each month, subscribers receive a beautifully written letter and artwork that feels like stepping back into a slower, more thoughtful time. It’s storytelling designed to be read slowly, maybe with a cup of tea, not scrolled past.

That idea alone felt like a small rebellion against the noise.

Over time, Kym adopted two of our donkeys, Mitzy and Poppy, through the Rosehaven Farms Adopt a Donkey program. Like many adopters, she followed along through photos, updates and stories from the paddock. It created a sense of familiarity long before she ever set foot on the farm.

And then one day, she did

When Online Turns Into Real Life

Kym came to Rosehaven Farms for a country life experience to meet Mitzy and Poppy in person.

There’s something grounding about that moment, when someone who has read about your animals, cared from afar, and followed their stories finally stands beside them. The donkey doesn’t need an introduction. She just leans in for a pat.

Mitzy was her usual gentle, thoughtful self, taking her time and watching closely. Poppy was… Poppy. Confident, affectionate, and very happy to accept attention like it was her full-time job.

It felt less like a visit and more like a continuation of a conversation that had already been happening for months.

Why This Matters to Me

I struggle with social media. I always have. Knowing what to post, how often, and whether it’s “enough” can feel overwhelming. Being part of Activate Her Awesome reminded me that connection doesn’t have to look flashy to be real.

Kym’s letters and our donkeys are doing the same thing in different ways. They slow people down. They offer familiarity. They remind us that belonging doesn’t require constant output or perfect wording.

Sometimes it just requires showing up honestly.

What started as a shared online community led to a real world visit, a deeper friendship, and one of those days that sits quietly in your memory and reminds you why you do what you do.

And honestly, that feels like success to me. From Online Community to Real-Life Connection, How Social Media Can Build Meaningful Relationships