One of the first questions people have been asking me lately is: why did you start a podcast? Months after launching Girl in the Valley, I’ve been reflecting on that question myself, and I have to admit that the podcast idea started out as less of a conscious decision and more of an inebriated urge to express my views.

It all started one night when I had a story to tell but no one there to listen. So I recorded it. Those six minutes totally changed the course of the ensuing eight months.

At first, the narrative theme focused on dating in the digital age. I had been on several apps by that point, some of which you’ve probably heard: Tinder, Bumble, and The League. Communication through these apps involve a scanning photos and self-aggrandizing descriptions of strangers followed by a few works exchanged through flirty little text messages—if anything gets exchanged at all.

If I’m interested, I swipe right and buckle in for an unexpected ride of naïve hopefulness in what inevitably turns out to be a circus of misguided millennials and a whirlwind of frustrations. I live in an environment that consists of high-speed connections, quid pro quo relationships and egotistical professionals melted into one of the richest concrete jungles in the world: Silicon Valley.

This makes dating hard. And insufferable.

Is this what our generation is left with? I refuse to believe we are too busy to stop and smell the roses and appreciate the present, or give someone the time of day. I am a Bay Area home grown native and my roots are deep in this valley.

I am grateful to live in one the most diverse cultures, fastest-growing economies and admist brain-stimulating industries—but too few people are focusing on each other. How did we get to this point?

Together, through my podcast, I want to bring us back to basics. I want to talk about how to develop meaningful connections, how to uphold our personal integrity by staying true to our word, and how to treat each other with respect.

By diving back into the dating scene here in the Silicon Valley and talking about it on Girl in the Valley, I found my voice and a passion for storytelling. While my podcast no longer solely focus on dating, I do keep some of the focus on life experiences and relationships.

With every new episode, I try to touch on the value of relationships and community. When we sit back and view life through new perspectives, we find excitement in the unknown, which leads to growth. Communication is where this starts and I can tell you it does not start with an emoji.

Patricia Callahan is a San Jose native and small business owner who spends her downtime with family and friends. Now as host of the Girl in the Valley podcast, you can catch all her life experiences on iTunes or on IG @girlinthevalleypodcast. Opinions in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of San Jose Inside. Send op-ed pitches to 

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