It was a family night. We weren’t physically together. We were in four states on multiple devices on a Friday night. We were finally getting together for my sister’s Christmas present to us: an online murder mystery. 

We were formally (or semi-formally or casually) invited to a wedding, which worked well, since there would be a family wedding later in the year. We had received sealed envelopes with our assigned character descriptions, overviews of the evening, venue map, and other essentials. We also had fun party goodies, such as, crime tape, detective notepads, magnifying glasses, evidence bags, and wedding mints. The day before the event, the cutest mini-cupcakes were delivered to everyone, which was a fantastic touch. 

My character was a quirky, eccentric aunt who wore mismatched clothes and costume jewelry. It’s not my style, but it was fun to shop for some cheap pieces I could use for the night. Not everyone dressed up, but there were several who captured their characters. The best was the character who was a wedding band member, who had modified a Napoleon Dynamite wig. 

The structure was well-designed. We transitioned from a large group to break-out rooms. In the break-out rooms, we’d ask other characters questions in hopes of putting together information to lead us to the murderer. In the large group, we’d get clues, award a prize for the Best Costume or Best Drama King/Queen, and so on. Finally, it was time for everyone to guess who the murderer was. 

No one guessed correctly, so the murderer won the grand prize: a 1968 Vintage Clue game. 

Honestly, we all won in a way. It was fun to hang out, even if it was as different characters. Most of us have seen each other at times, but we haven’t been together as a group for a long time. We could have stayed online for a long time to catch up, but it was a good time nonetheless.

I’m not much of a game person, but sitting in the quiet of my house by myself on my laptop while family members in other states were on their phones and laptops was a ton of fun. In a way, it was the best of both worlds. I was in the comfort of my own home, had no travel, stayed in comfy clothes, while I also caught up with family, laughed, and made fun memories. (Added bonus for being able to fall into bed soon after wrapping up the call.) It was a good end-of-the-week option for this ambivert—lowkey, limited connection.

After all, connections are important. Investing in others is important. Making memories is important. And it doesn’t have to be complicated, overwhelming, or obligatory. There’s no one size fits all, but I hope you can find a good fit soon. Maybe by the end of the week? 

Go ahead. Challenge yourself to get something on the calendar.