Why are we here?



Self-portrait: I am golden retriever


Okay, you caught me.  I'm not actually a dog.  But I have been compared to one on many occasions.  When you think of a golden retriever, you think of something akin to this photo above.  A happy go-lucky, playful, friendly and all around energetic ball of fluff.  That pup you envision may not be sitting in a bathtub at a dog park that just so happens to also be a bar for humans, like this one, but those adjectives almost always tend to describe most goldens.  (This photo was taken at a place called Fetch Park in Atlanta, GA and I highly recommend a visit, once travel is a smart move again.... Also, this is not my dog, but he loved getting his photo taken.)  My family had a golden retriever named Amber for a lot of my childhood and she was the happiest pup I had ever met.  All she needed was to play and be around people.

I am a social creature, much like a golden retriever.  I feed off of the energy of others, specifically my close friends and family.  I love getting outdoors and getting active and prefer if it's with a group of people I care about.  So as you can imagine, just like a golden retreiver who is stuck inside without anyone to play with, that being cooped up during this outbreak of COVID-19 has been slowly making me go insane.

Cut to -------- a brief explanation of where I was in life when this outbreak began.  I recently (Dec 2019) graduated with my masters' from The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts with a focus in Intervention, Communication and Behavior Change.  I have been job searching for a role in the corporate wellness industry - trying to utilize my skills to make the wokrplace a healthier place for all employees.  I truly believe in the concept of work-life balance and think that society is starting to shift to prioritize employees so that they can lead their lives in a healthy manner and therefore be more productive in their workplaces.  While job searching, I was also playing event planner for many of my friends who are getting married this coming summer (hopefully no rescheduling will be needed.....).  I have slowly seen these events be postponed or cancelled as we are all starting to worry about travel and social gatherings.  It has hurt my soul to have to avoid these types of events... but obviously the health of my loved ones is more important than any party!

So where does this leave us?  Many states, including MA where I am located, have now closed many bars, restaurants, gyms and theaters.  We are being urged to stay inside and practice social isolation.  Just the IDEA of social isolation makes me bonkers.....  So I've decided to blog about what I am doing to try (and hopefully succeed?) to remain sane.   I hope to share a bit of everything here in the hopes that it might help others like me who want to scream and run around outside.  

I'll be reporting on what I've been hearing from companies regarding how they are taking care of their employees.  While most people have been annoyed by the flood of emails coming from every company that has ever had their email, I am interested to hear which companies are being proactive in protecting their work forces.  Other posts will probably include: sources where you can find info on the latest news regarding the virus; in-home bodyweight workouts so you can get a sweat in; cooking/baking recipes that I've tried to have some fun with in the kitchen and also nourish my body and soul; things to watch on various streaming apps; pictures of puppies and other cute things; organization projects that I've taken on to pass the time; etc.  I'm open to suggestions too!

So talk to you soon, fellow shut-ins!

Vicky
(P.S - Wash your hands after reading this, just to be safe.)


Also, here's a real pic of me, since I told you I wasn't actually the golden retriever pictured above.  But I'm still holding a dog.  And will always pick up pups like this because I can relate to their energetic love of life.  (For real, check out a whole gallery of me + pups on my personal website here.)







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