All work and no play … well, you know the story. Now more than ever, it’s important to take time off. Here are some creative ways our people have relaxed, revived and reconnected during the pandemic.
TikTok-ing across the West
“My best friend Brenda and I decided to drive up to Zion, Utah, to hike and even make a fun TikTok video that kind of got a little bit of attention! We stayed in Nevada and woke up at 4 a.m. to drive to Utah to explore and go off-roading. As we passed by each landmark, we decided to take a quick video of each state sign. Another trip I went on was to Big Sur, California. My best friend and I decided to make an end-of-the-year recap and do a mini podcast. We lit an end of the year Chinese Lantern and had a drone fly over waterfalls.”
– Kim Lee
Canoe feel it
“I trained for and participated in a series of virtual, time-trial outrigger canoe races of ever-increasing lengths. Races were between teams made up of individual paddlers in their own single canoes. Each participant had the whole race period to attempt each course. Their best time was used to calculate team times, which were the total aggregated times of all team members. My teams finished in the middle of the pack each race, but it was fun, and a great way to increase my fitness level while spending time outdoors, socially distanced.”
– Christopher Posthuma
Seven hours to bliss
“In the mist of this pandemic, and after staying at home for seven-plus months, we needed a big blast of beautiful nature. We took the approximate seven-hour drive to Springdale, Utah, which is the town right outside Zion National Park. We enjoyed the park for three days and took another easy ride to Bryce National Park for the day. It reenergized us and filled our hearts.”
– Dyan Ulman
Feebe’s big adventure
“We took our dog, Feebe, on her first plane ride. It was not a long trip for her. Three hours from New York to Palm Beach, Florida. Feebe loved her time in Florida. Relieving herself on palm trees was a new experience for a Northeast dog. She also loved the beach and dining out with us. What a treat for Feebe. She did not want to go back to New York weather, and neither did her owners. Feebe has been asking us when we are returning to Florida. Soon, I hope!”
– Carl Fremont
The 6,500-mile road trip
“We (me, my wife, my two kids and a friend) went on a road trip of America. We usually go home to Indonesia every summer, but because of the pandemic we decided not to go and do a road trip instead. From California, we went up to Montana, east to Milwaukee, south to Florida, and back west to California. We drove more than 6,500 miles total, through 19 states and a lot of cities. We had a lot of fun. My two kids really enjoyed the trip, surprisingly. The cool thing is, we knew in general where we wanted to go but not the details. Most of the time we planned only a day before.”
– Ilham Budihartono
Going Blue in Texas
“I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Dallas this year to witness the Dodgers win the World Series for the first time in 32 years. A group of friends and I purchased our tickets to Game 6 of the World Series, airline tickets and hotel—all before we even knew if they would make it to the World Series or not. Luckily, they did, and the rest is history!”
– Juan Martinez
