We are all connected to each other,  family trees and DNA give us connections far and wide.  My FamilySearch app had a long list of fellow attendees with whom I shared a common ancestor, I visited with a few people while waiting in lines, but I didn't leave the conference feeling I made connections.

In the last ten years I have felt genealogically isolated.  As a new mom who evolved into a homeschooling mom my time and energy allocations did not include getting involved with the local genealogical societies.  Last year I finally felt the time was right to venture out more outside my family.

The small genealogical society I joined was like many others, the membership was generally retired  and few members did more than show up at the monthly meetings.  As a professional genealogist it was a place to share my knowledge and talents, but opportunities to grow and network were minimal.

I gradually discovered that technology has dramatically changed the connections between genealogists, not just between family members.  I joined Twitter to follow space satellite updates for my son only to discover a community of genealogists who connect through events like #genchat and #ancestorhour.  

I jumped on board the Virtual Genealogical Association as soon as it launched.  Not only is it a place to connect virtually, but also for meetups at conferences to connect face-to-face.  NextGen is a group to connect younger genealogists and they also have conference meetups.  As I attend conferences on my own it is great to have a welcoming group of people with common interests and goals.  

 Instagram is another place I have found connections.  This month Melissa at Genealogy Girl Talks  encourages genealogists to share about themselves through her Genealogy Photo A Day Challenge.

I discovered that now, no matter where I live or what I have going on in my life, I can be part of the genealogical community without needing to leave my four walls.