Photo Credit: Eric Kelley

One month ago today, we were getting acquainted with the vibrant downtown-scape of Dubai, as we were gearing up for another incredible Engage! Summits Conference. We were filled with excitement for the content, the inspiring people and incredible experiences to come. Boy have things evolved since then! As eternal optimists, it got us to reflect on some funny, heart-warming and real human things that are all experiencing now, from the vantage of the square-footage that makes up our house and the people inside who make it a home.

CDE Observations while SIP’ing (shelter-in-placing, obvi):

• Airpods & Headphones: When both partners + children are working/schooling from home, you DON’T set down your headphones (EVER), or someone will snatch them when you needed them to get on that work Zoom call you are 5 minutes late for. If you don’t have children, perhaps a bored or snarky cat/dog who chews through them just enough so only one side is working
• “BUT YOU EAT CARBS…!”: If the Devil wears Prada, then no carbs are off-limits, ya hear?!
• Adult Sippy Cups: Wine? Absolutely! Wine before noon? Only if you have good justification…and we can ALL justify
• Little Comforts Matter: Warm socks from the dryer, the wind blowing on your face and a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, can set the stage for a great and productive day
• Normalcy?: “New Norm” in the pandemic context, has obvious and an unfortunate connotation. There are lots of simple pleasures that are enjoyed now (ie: talking on the phone with your family and friends instead of texting, baking sourdough bread, watching a classic movie with your family, board games, etc). If a “new norm” means quality time with those you live with, that’s pretty damn great
• Speaking of Space & Time, What’s the  Matter With Not Knowing What Day It Is?: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…8:00 am… 11:00 pm. Does tracking time & days matter? The point in the calendar year that has the vaguest similarity, is the span of days between Christmas & New Year. Where do those days go? And no, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how you use the time
• Self-Care: Naps & Reading (and Tiger King) are events that happen with regularity and are generally looked forward to in the day
• Speaking Of Self-Care, DIY Reigns Supreme (for now): Did you ever think you would learn how to do so much of your self-maintenance (nails, hair color, trims, facials, massage) from things you have around the house via, YouTube and IG?
• Interwebs & Cobwebs: The former is infinite (learning & personal improvement, entertainment ops, etc.). The latter is finite. Although cobwebbing feels like an infinite battle, where you know secretly they are advancing while you sleep
• Planting Hope: Kitchen window gardens, patio gardens, and full-on back yard gardens are being produced en masse. The very notion of planting a seed, in the ground and waiting for that sweet, tender, bright green start to emerge from the soil, is cause for joy