Lakefront Home in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, USA
House • Mountain Home AR United States
8 Guests
3 Bedrooms
4 Beds
2 Bathrooms
6 Car spaces
Secondary home
Exchange types accepted
Simultaneous
Non-Simultaneous
Non-Reciprocal & Globe
Hospitality
Statistics
Listed October 2020
Views 7536
General overview
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Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Toys
Gym
Sauna
BBQ
Pool
Hot tub
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Kosher home
Meat-free kitchen
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Camping gear
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Weekend
Adventure
Family
Romantic
Sport and leisure
Relaxing
Mountains
Beach
Water
Culture
Hiking
Cycling
Golf
House rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Cat free
Dog free
Smoke free
Low allergen
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
We live on a quiet, dead end road. The 52 homes on this peninsula are upscale and are the only ones on Lake Norfork (600+ miles of shoreline) where private boat docks are allowed in your backyard. The water sports, including swimming, scuba diving, water skiing/knee boards, jet ski and fishing year round, is superb. Golf, caverns to explore, craft & antique shops, canoe/or inner tube float trips are available on nearby rivers, fish hatchery tours, zip lining, museums & quilt shops are just a few of the activities available for your enjoyment.
There are several State Parks and Corp of Engineer places to hike and bike within 15-45 minutes of the house.
Branson, MO, is a 2-hr drive from our home, which offers 30+ live family music & comedy shows, Sight & Sound Theater, golf, Silver Dollar City amusement park, Sheppard of the Hills Theatre, Paddlewheel Showboat Dinner Cruises, Bass Pro Shop and an old time 5 & 10 cent store.
There are spectacular Christmas shows and beautiful lighted decorations all over Branson during the Christmas. Holidays.
Getting around
A car is necessary because there is no public transportation. We have a car you can use, most likely.
Groceries, pharmacy, gas stations, hardware, restaurants, golfing, fishing supplies/bait, shopping, Regional Medical Center, miniature golf, movie theater, axe throwing, bowling, are all within 3-5 miles of our home. The house is approx. 2 miles off of the main highway on a paved road in an upscale neighborhood.
Map of Approximate Location
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Dear Elaine, dear Lowell,
You are such kind-hearted people, we are so happy that our paths have crossed through PLU. We had wonderful days at the lake house. Your house and the area around is unique and like a gem. It has been cared for and equipped with a lot of warmth - we felt right at home at your place. And our two meetings, time flies just away - we realize how much we enjoy our time together and how difficult it is to part. But as we have decided together - the world is small, for those who want to see each other again, it will be easy - We are looking forward to it!
Thank you for your hospitality, your friendship and everything you have done for us!
Dear Rafael and Alicja,
Thank you for your kind remarks. We feel honored to have met you through the wonderful PLU community.. From the beginning, when you rescued us when an exchange was canceled, and we became your first exchange partners, until now, we have immensely enjoyed your company, our chats and friendship. You were great guests and you left our home immaculate! Safe travels and know you are always welcome to our homes.
Elaine and Lowell's lake home is lovely! We so enjoyed spending evenings relaxing around their firepit and afternoons swimming off their dock. The house was clean, the beds comfortable, communication was perfect, and the lake views were stunning.
Although we didn’t get to meet Lisa and her friends from California, we had good communication throughout the whole exchange process. There were 3 couples and they left our home in perfect condition. We hope to meet them on one of our trips to CA to visit family. They live in a lovely area near the ocean, which I’m very familiar with. I would welcome them back at any time. Great guests.
Dear Elaine and Lowell,
now it's been a few weeks since our house exchange and we still think back to it often and very fondly, because it was one of the nicest exchanges we've ever had.
Your house was perfectly prepared for us, very clean, tidy and cozy, making us feel at home from the moment we arrived. We didn't miss anything and we were very happy about the wonderful welcome gift. Our exchange started with a road trip from Dallas to Mountain Home, where we visited some national parks and sights (Sightseeing Dallas, Fort Worth Stockyards, Southfork Ranch, Crater of Diamonds, Hot Springs, Garvan Woodland Gardens, Petit Jean State Park). We have also done countless day trips and excursions (including a canoe tour on the Buffalo River, Lost Valley Trailhead, Branson) from the house, which have given us great memories. The quiet location of the house, right on the lake, was absolutely perfect and looking back we can think of 1000 things that we miss now: the beautiful landscape, the wonderful weather, the delicious food, the friendly people, watching the squirrels catch during breakfast games, enjoying the sunset on the dock, watching the boats go by, the glow of the glow worms in the evening, roasting marshmallows by the fire pit, falling asleep to the sound of crickets, late night shopping, canoeing and swimming in the lake. We highly recommend this place. Thank you for this wonderful home exchange!
We had a 3-week simultaneous exchange with Markus, Jana and their 2 boys., Daniel and Julian. They were great communicators before, during and after our exchange. They left our home in perfect condition and sent us pictures of their boat ride and tubing with our daughter and her family, as they had just bought a ski. boat.
We had a wonderful visit at their home in Nuremberg, Germany. We did many day trips to revisit some of our favorite villages and castles from living in Germany for 5 years. Their home was lovely, well situated for public transportation and had everything we needed for a delightful stay. We would welcome them again in the future.
We spent 15 days at Elaine and Lowell's lake house. I can't say enough about the wonderful stay we had. Their house is incredible, clean, well maintained, well equipped, with a beautiful view of the lake. Elaine had everything planned to make us feel welcome in the best way possible.
The house is ideally located, there are so many things to visit in the area.
And what about the hosts... Elaine and Lowell are incredibly nice people, always there to help you.
This was our first exchange but what a memory!!! We will never forget it! Thank you Elaine, thank you Lowell for being who you are!
Laurence,Bruno and Family
What a fantastic exchange at Lowell & Elaine’s lakeside home in Mountain Home Arkansas. It was most relaxing and just what we needed after the long drive from Maine. This was our first time staying in the State and we were amazed by the beauty around us. The home is lovely, comfortable and had everything we needed. Elaine and Lowell made us feel so welcome.
Thank you! This was an exchange we won’t soon forget.
Louise & Al
This was our second visit to Elaine’s amazing lake front house. We are extremely happy to explore beautiful Arkansas and had a relaxing time with spectacular view from the house.
Elaine and Lowell warm welcomed us with surprise gifts and my mom who’s visiting us from overseas fell in love with the lake house. Home is spotless and very comfortable. We did many PLU exchanges, Elaine’s lake house is absolutely one of our favorites. Arkansas is such a hidden gem, so many places to visit!!
Elaine and Lowell! We truly appreciate your amazing hospitality and letting us to come back to your beautiful home! It was so happy to spring time with you guys again!
Love,
Dana and family
Elaine and Lowell’s lake house was simply amazing!
First of all, Elaine and Lowell us the sweetest host ever. Very welcoming and excellent hospitality.
Elaine has everything that we need and house was tidy and spotless! She provided us like new high quality bed sheets and towels too!
She left tons of toys for my son, he had blast!!!
Entire livingroom/ kitchen/ bedroom has full lake view we really enjoyed looking at amazing view and sunsets! It was just a dream exchange.
We rented a boat for very reasonable price explore amazing north fork lake. My son jumped off the boat and swim. The water was so cleaner and warm!
I highly recommend Elaine’s lake house, whoever gets stay you are in luck!
Also Arkansas was full of surprise and beautiful natures everywhere. We went to amazing caves near Eliane’s house. Buffalo river was amazing!
Also love Petit Jean states park!
There are amazing trails near by. Also Walmart and big shopping centers with in 8mins from the house!!
We would love to go back! My son keep asking when we are going to re-visit the lake house!
We truly appreciate for everything Elaine and Lowell.
Wonderful experience! I'm so grateful for the beautiful home Elaine shared with me and my daughter. We had a blast hiking, exploring the area, horseback riding, listening to live music, and more! She even left a bag of presents for my daughter and had a basket of s'mores to use at the firepit. So grateful!
Such a pleasure to welcome Elaine and Lowell again in Brussels. This time we had more time to spend together and that was very enjoyable. Can't wait to finally go to Arkansas.
Elaine and Lowell are great PLU members and great guests!
Elaine and Lowell were great guests. They spent about a week in our apartment this summer, everything was spotless and they treated our home like it was their own. They even visited Auschwitz in Poland during this exchange, I really admire their active lifestyle and passion for traveling and I hope to have at least half of that passion when I'm their age. Elaine is a great planner and communication was always smooth before or throughout the exchange and we have stayed in touch ever since. We agreed on a non-simultaneous exchange and we are looking forward to visit their home in Arkansas one day :)
It was such a pleasure to welcome Elaine and Lowell.
At the end of their European tour, very happy to welcome them after reading all their posts on the facebook group!
They left the apartment impeccable.
They are welcome back any time to visit Belgium.
Elaine and Lowell were just perfect guests! Everything was just right, the communication before and the communication while they were staying at our place. They took super good care of our apartment, everything was clean - as if they had not been there. Also our car was treated perfectly and waited for us clean in the garage. I'm sure we'll see each other again and we'll be happy to exchange again!
Elaine and Lowel are kind and generous people. Communication was great and they looked after our home well during their aprrox.10 days stay. Highly recommend them as guests.
Elaine and Lowell are wonderful, very communicative, helpful and caring hosts and guests who have looked after our cats and the house very well. We exchanged a lot of messages and had nice video chats before, during and after our home exchange. We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet Elaine and Lowell's daughter Lynette and her family in person and are still amazed by their hospitality in taking us on a boat trip...it was a great day! We hope to meet Elaine and Lowell in person one day and stay in touch until then. Thank you for everything.
Elaine and Lowell were respectful guests, very pleasant. When we returned, everything was immaculate. Thank you to them for this incredible exchange!
We had the chance to meet with Elaine and Lowell for a lunch at home just before we left for our vacation. They both are lovely people and it was so pleasant to have this opportunity to discuss and get to know each other.
They took really great care of our house and even agree to prepare it in order to welcome the next swappers, as we could not come in between the two stays. It was really appreciated! But this was not all, they also spent some time every day watering the vegetable garden and all the plants in the garden which was so important for me, especially as the summer has been so hot in France. Thank you Elaine and Lowell!
They left our house spic and span as well as our car.
We hope we will meet again in Arkansas if we finally decide to go to the US.
You should not hesitate one second to swap with those lovely guests!
It was much to short !
Elaine and Lowell stayed just for an afternoon, a night and a morning at home.
We shared wonderful moments together, emotional times at Colleville American Cemetery and then hours chatting at home.
They are such warm and friendly people. It seemed like we had known them for a long time!
We already miss you Elaine and Lowell, now Arkansas is high on our wishlist.
We wish you the best for your European trip, and hope to see you soon.
Thank you for the lovely presents you left us in the bedroom, such a lovely surprise.
Have the best during all your swaps
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Lowell and Elaine and we’re so happy to be able to accommodate their exchange with us. They are true, kind PLU folk and you won’t go wrong exchanging with them.
Can’t wait to visit their lakehouse in Arkansas!
Elaine and Lowell are wonderful and interesting people! They could not have taken better care of our home. They cleaned and took care of it as if it was their own home. Any host would be happy to have them stay! As a non-simultaneous exchange, it was so nice to meet up with them and get to know these fellow travelers! As experienced travelers, they have lots of stories to share about their interesting adventures. We so admire how they travel extensively in their retirement. We can't wait to stay in their home next year and hopefully meetup with them again.
We stayed with Lora and Scott for a 2-week non simultaneous exchange at their lovely home in Maine. The home is in a beautiful rural setting with views of the mountains, especially from the bar-b-q deck and fire pit in the backyard. We only used the downstairs, as there was a king size bedroom, bath with a walk in shower, open kitchen & dining area, living room with fireplace and large laundry room with folding area and working desk area. Everything was spotless and we appreciated the gift basket of goodies, fresh eggs, orange juice, English muffins, butter, coffee, Maine cheese curls from the local dairy and a beautiful potted Mum. There was an additional 4 bedrooms and 3 baths upstairs. Lora was easy to communicate with throughout our entire exchange process and very helpful with suggestions of places to visit. Scott is quite knowledgeable about some local WWII military vehicles and gave Lowell a private tour of this collection. There’s a lovely covered bridge just one half mile from their home. We spent a lazy afternoon reading and enjoying the peacefulness on the sandy beach. We met Lora and Scott for lunch and enjoyed our time with them immensely. I highly recommend an exchange with Lora and Scott. We look forward to their visit to our home next summer.
Elaine and Lowell are excellent couple.
They took care of my house so well and take care of our little turtle and plants.
Lowell even played with our turtle. So sweet! :)
Communication was superb! We are super lucky to connect with amazing Elaine and Lowell.
Would love to host you guys anytime please come back!
Thanks
Mitch, Lisa and their 4 friends from California were lovely guests that left our home in excellent condition. Although we did not meet them personally, we video chatted and communicated before and during their stay. We would recommend them as guests and welcome them into our home again.
We had a lovely one week exchange with Alexandra. Her home is clean, bright and sunny. It is convenient to transportation, shopping and day trips to the surrounding areas. Her home had everything we needed for a delightful stay.
We look forward to hosting her next September in our home in Arkansas . Communication was easy before and during our exchange. I would highly recommend Alexandra’s home for exchange and hope to return again.
Lowell & Elaine PLU # 7583
We had a 2-week exchange with Rafael and Alicja in September 2022. Their home is lovely, well situated for public transportation and easy days trips to the surrounding areas. Their home had everything needed to have a marvelous stay. They were warm and welcoming. We had good communication before and during our exchange. We met them prior to their departure on their trip yo Egypt. We look forward to hosting them in October for 2 weeks in 2023. Don’t miss a chance to exchange with this delightful couple.
We had a wonderful stay in Poldi and Sarah’s lovely home last summer (2022). Their home is comfortable and ideally located to explore Bavaria. Their home has everything needed for a pleasant stay and it is also within walking distance of Lake Starnberg with lovely walking paths along the lake. Communication was easy and often with Sarah before, during and after our exchange. We hope to host them in the future. They are a delightful family and I would highly recommend an exchange if you get an opportunity.
Thank, Sarah and Poldi, for the wonderful week we spent enjoying your home. Arkansas is waiting to welcome you at your earliest convenience. 🥰
Lowell & Elaine
We had a delightful simultaneous 3-week home exchange with Markus, Jana and their 2 boys. The house was well organized, clean and inviting. They left us lovely welcome gifts that were very thoughtful and appreciated. We visited many places in Nuremberg and took several day trips to outlying areas. The two cats kept us entertained daily. Communication was easy before and during our stay. The home is well situated for public transportation and shopping. We had a great time in Jana’s lovely home and hope to meet them in person on another occasion.
Markus, Jana and boys were great guests in our home. They were responsible and respectful of our property and left it in the same condition as they found it. We had easy communication before and during our simultaneous home exchange, with several video chats prior to our exchange. We were excited to plan this exchange with this wonderful family and encourage anyone looking for an exchange in the Nuremberg area to contact Markus and Jana. Thanks for a great experience in Germany so we could revisit a lot of our favorite places.
My husband and I had a wonderful 2-week simultaneous home exchange with Laurence and Bruno. Their home was neat, clean and well equipped with everything we needed for a pleasant stay. Communication was easy before and during our exchange. We had several video chats prior to our home exchange and met their lovely daughters online. We especially enjoyed the Saturday green market in the town square and a day trip to Lyon. Their home is convenient to explore many of the beautiful châteaux nearby. If you get a chance to exchange with this wonderful family, don’t hesitate…you won’t be disappointed.
Bruno, Lawrence and their lovely daughters stayed in our home for 2 weeks during our simultaneous home exchange. We had back to back international PLU exchanges and they were kind enough to prepare the home for the incoming guests. We communicated well before our exchange and all during our exchange. They were very respectful of our home and we would welcome them again. This is a great family that has become our friends.
We just completed a 2-week exchange with Solange and Emmanuel. Their home and garden is spacious and beautiful. The house is large, immaculate and airy. We were so pleased to meet, visit and have a delicious lunch with Solange and Emmanuel prior to their departure for the Netherlands. While enjoying their home, we also made a day trip by train to Paris to tour the Eiffel Tower and drove to Château Chenonceau in the Loire Valley. The River Cher runs directly through the Chateau and many people were enjoying boating on the river. We were so impressed with both places that we decided to return for a 2 night visit to Paris and Blois, France, to visit the Chateau Blois and Chateau Chambord. We were pleasantly surprised with all the thoughtful gifts Solange left for our enjoyment. The home is well equipped with everything imaginable to enjoy your stay. Did I mention they have a home theater room, which, unfortunately, we didn’t have time to enjoy? Many thanks to this lovely couple for allowing us to stay in their home. We hope to host them in our home in Arkansas in the future. If you have an opportunity to exchange with Solange and Emmanuel, you will be delighted!
Lowell & Elaine
We had a delightful one night hospitality stay with Corinne, Jef and their daughter, Alix. They could not have been more welcoming, and we enjoyed every minute with this wonderful family. Their historic house and garden have been restored by their labor of love and is simply stunning! Such a peaceful and beautiful setting; we renamed it The Secret Garden. Corinne was kind enough to meet Lowell and I at the Colleville American Cemetery to honor our US Military fallen Heros by placing US flags and flowers from Corinne’s garden at the graves of the three soldiers their family cares for annually. It was such a special and emotional time for all of us. We will always remember their kindness, friendliness, and great hospitality. They had prepared our room with care and placed gifts from the local area on the bed. We had a delicious grilled dinner together overlooking their lovely garden and the largest, freshest croissants and French pastries I have ever seen for breakfast. We will definitely keep in touch and hope to host them in our home in the near future. Jef is quite the fisherman, and we would love to show him how great the fishing is in the Ozark Mountains and share our little slice of heaven with this awesome family. Thanks for all the special memories we created together Jef, Corinne and Alix.
Lowell & Elaine
Dana and Moon are delightful guests and always leave our home immaculate and go beyond our expectations for any guests. We’ve become “family” through PLU. We couldn’t ask for kinder, more considerate and fun guests and we all look forward to our get togethers. This visit we were able to meet Dana’s Mom, Jacqueline, visiting from Korea. She and Dana made homemade Korean dumplings and left them in the freezer for us to enjoy on our next trip to our lake house. If you ever get a chance to exchange homes with Dana, (#7926) in Dallas, jump on it. Her home, and the surrounding area, is awesome. So many fun things to do and see. Did I mention her massage chair? That’s worth a visit to her home if you never leave the house!😂 We look forward to meeting Moon’s parents this fall when they visit from Australia.
We stayed a week in Al and Louise’s beautiful lakeside home. The large deck and lovely lake views from the Master bedroom, living room and downstairs game room/lounge area was gorgeous. The home had everything we needed to have a delightful stay and was very clean. They left us a pumpkin filled with all kinds of treats, including a bottle of their son’s home made maple syrup! Yum!! We really enjoyed meeting Al and Louise for lunch and we spent all afternoon together talking about our experiences with PLU and they gave us tips on what to do in the area. After lunch they were kind enough to offer to show us around the area, including a private tour of their son’s “sugar shack” where he processes maple syrup, from the trees on his property. It was fascinating and educational. My husband and I went kayaking around the lake every day and enjoyed sitting on the deck each morning and evening. If you get a chance to exchange with Al and Louise, grab it! We look forward to hosting them next year in Arkansas. I highly recommend Al and Louise’s home.
We had a wonderful 2-week exchange at Lora and Scotts’s beautiful home in rural Maine. It’s in a valley surrounded by mountains and has marvelous sunsets from the 40 acre yard. Just 0.5 mile down the road is a delightful covered bridge over the river with a sandy beach. We spent several afternoons reading and relaxing in this serene spot. There are lots of wonderful scenic drives from Lora’s home, some to the coastal areas and others through the beautiful mountains. We hiked and took drives almost every day. We met Lora and Scott for lunch one day and had a great visit. Scott is a WWII enthusiast and offered to take Lowell on a private tour of WWII vehicles that one of his friend’s owns. They had a fun and informative afternoon together. There’s a delicious ice cream shop in town where we enjoyed eating Black Walnut ice cream and chatting with the owner. The house is large, but cozy, and we had a great time. Lora left many local delights for us to enjoy. Lora is planning a family reunion to our home in Arkansas in the near future. We highly recommend exchanging with this lovely family.
Lowell & Elaine
We just completed a simultaneous home exchange with Moon, Dana and Won, their adorable 3.5yo son, in there beautiful Dallas, Texas home. It’s on a large lot and the tree lined, quiet street and walkable.
They welcomed us with gifts and full access to their organic garden. They are a delightful couple that we met at our lake home after a freak storm just 12 hours before their arrival. We needed to stay and clean up downed trees and upturned lawn furniture. Upon their arrival, they pitched in to help us clean up the yard and we, unexpectedly, shared that night together in our lake home. We awoke to the most delicious breakfast, prepared by Dana, a feast really; 4-5 kinds of fresh fruit, pancakes, Oatmeal, broccoli soup, hard boiled eggs, healthy green juice, made with fruit and veggies, and blueberry muffins. This, after staying up LATE the night before chatting and enjoying our new friendship and their hard work helping us clean up our yard. They were so sweet and understanding. Dana and I communicated well together prior, during and after the exchange. Their home was inviting, well equipped with everything we needed to make our stay comfortable, even an expensive massage chair that I used nearly every day of our visit. Dana & Moon’s house was tidy, very clean and well organized, and an absolute dream for children, with every conceivable toy, art supplies and back yard play house and swing set. Their home is so convenient to walk to White Rock Lake, bike and walking paths and there’s so many interesting places to visit on day trips; the Arboretum, the Ft. Worth Stockyards, Magnolia Markets, the Texas hill country and more. We enjoyed the Arboretum, the Stockyards in Ft. Worth, the long horn cattle are amazing, and you can watch the round up twice a day on the main streets and visit the pens for a safe, but, up close view of the steers. We visited the unique shops with cowboy boots, hats, clothing and beautiful Hacienda type top quality furniture. The Cowgirl Museum is awesome and informative about the role of women in settling the West. The rodeo is a must see!
Waco, Texas is a delightful day trip to visit Magnolia Markets, (Joanne & Chip Gaines, US TV personalities) which is very family friendly, with beautiful gardens, lawn games, food trucks and a lovely covered picnic area.
We look forward to future exchanges with Moon and Dana. We consider them “family”., after our “yard adventure” together. We’ve adopted Won and his parents! If you get a chance to exchange with Moon and Dana, don’t hesitate, jump right in and you’ll have a wonderful exchange!
Elaine & Lowell
Our home was left immaculate and Dana even washed the linens on the bed we slept in the night we shared our home, prior to driving to Dallas!
Thank you for everything!
Erin and her daughter were very neat and left our home spotless. They would be welcome again in our home and we look forward to our visit in Erin’s home in the near future.
Premium
Elaine
We are semi-retired medical professionals and world travelers that have have lived in Germany and Peru, which launched our love of new adventures in foreign places. Our passion is independent traveling, meeting new people and exploring new cultures.
We look forward to meeting new friends from many countries through exchanges in PLU. We hope you will enjoy our lakefront vacation home in Mountain Home, AR, USA.
Lowell & Elaine Hardcastle
"2026–90 days w/several 2-3 week exchanges in different areas."
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
Dates flexible
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"Jan -Feb 2025"
Dates flexible
"Fall 2025-July 2026"
Dates flexible
"Feb-Mar 2025"
Dates flexible
"Prefer spring or fall in NZ"
Dates flexible
People Like Us is the world's most trusted home exchange community. We believe in sharing, trust, generosity, respect, communication, equality, cooperation, honesty, hospitality, friendship, flexibility and adventure. We take pride in our homes and we care about the environment in which we live: our village, city, country and our planet. We care about the ethos of home exchange and we do it because we love the experience and the friendships that it generates.