Making the Most Out of the Isolation

The year in which I had the most extensive world trips planned, the year when I realized I prefer working in teams whenever possible because there will always be at least a fair amount of independent work, and in most cases, several minds are better than one... was the year everything changed. Such is life.
I am no stranger to isolation. I always prefer a good book or a good movie to dubious company and even more dubious food. However, I always tried to go out whenever I was given the chance. Simply because I very rarely regretted it. After all, the offer in the New York Metro Area almost never disappoints (unless you still live with the illusion that NY is the city that never sleeps; turns out it does, oooh yes it does...) But I didn't realize just how social I was until the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let me tell you again how much I love building community... (Befriend me. By all accounts, it looks like I am a super-connector. I know it came as a surprise to me too...)
And yet, I am far from being depressed. I have projects accumulated on the back burner to last me for years. I keep busy - extremely busy, even. Only that now I dictate my own schedule.
One of the things that I miss dearly is interacting with the local community of flamenco dancers, instructors, and musicians. Taking dance lessons online is not for me. I try to reduce my "Zoom" interactions to a minimum. Day-long online events are out of the question.
I regret not keeping a pandemic log. I am still working on a daily journaling habit. And speaking of creating and maintaining healthy habits: I have five free 30-day passes to give away for a productivity app that I greatly enjoy using on a daily basis. This app (along with a few fitness trackers, because, boy, do I love me some stats) turned me into a serious runner, and back into a journaler. The link is in this post. There are several other goodies spread throughout that blog, you may want to check it out.
2019 was the year of self-discovery for me. I focused a lot on personality assessments and personal branding. One thing that kept coming up, as a silver thread in my career, was sustainability. Yes, I am an ecologist who walks the walk. "Walking the walk" is, no doubt, the way of integrity. For instance, I have recently realized that it is ten years since I have been systematically composting all my household's food scraps through various methods. Having a garden and being a member of community gardens has definitely been a motivating factor... Volunteering at the United Nations Food Garden was a highlight of my gardening journey. (It's funny how I only started gardening after moving to the biggest metropolitan area in the world.) But composting is only one of the aspects of "closing the circle". I have been advocating for reducing harmful environmental impacts ever since fifth grade. Choosing a career in ecology was a given. Advocating for scientific literacy - a constant. As a result, I have accumulated a wealth of specialized knowledge and experience, which I am more than happy to share, by hosting a tiered blog on Patreon. My concept of sustainability starts with the individual level: how do you sustain yourself, physically and mentally? How do you integrate the sustainable use of resources with the "here and now"? What is your impact on the community? What is your legacy? The upper tier is capped - inner circles are supposed to stay small by definition, however, I will be sharing plenty of posts publicly.
Until next time.
A pitcher of lemonade next to three lemons with leaves and lemon tree flowers on a flowery plate on a grass lawn under a blue sky"



   



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