My mindset for thriving during COVID-19, an adventure documentary, a fantastic meditation, and an insightful blog about reopening.
Howdy folks!
I hope you’re all healthy and adjusted to this (temporary!) shift in all of our lives. I’d love to hear from you, so please drop me a line with an update if you feel so inclined.
Back in February, I had a few blogs ready to go. Then The Damn Virus arrived on our shores and posts about biking, van travel or really anything felt useless. It was all about sorting through information to figure out how to make us, our families and our community safe.
Now that we’re maintaining a lockdown equilibrium, I wanted to a) say hi and b) share how I’m staying sane and thriving during this pandemic. A few friends mentioned that they liked my approach, so perhaps there are helpful takeaways for you as well.
This newsletter's contents:
A blog post about how I'm staying productive and balanced in the face of COVID-19, a most-excellent adventure documentary, my favorite guided meditation, and an insightful take on the risks of reopening and how to navigate them.
Creating A Productive and Balanced Life During This F'n Pandemic
Home-bound and content are NOT words that describe me. However, when I realized this pandemic was sticking around for the unforeseen future, it required a shift in my identity and priorities.
I spun out a bit in March, then decided to focus on alive time vs dead time, seeking the positives in this upheaval. That mindset is working well for me to stay happy, productive and balanced.
Read the blog post here for my thoughts on making the most of this f'n pandemic!
Documentary: Endurance Racing in Morocco!
If 92 hours of riding through the desert with only two hours of sleep sounds crazy (or enticing) to you, then this documentary is for you.
My talented friend Brady followed a bunch of nutjobs errr cyclists during the Atlas Mountain Race. The result is an hilarious, inspiring 40-minute documentary.
The doc, Into the Rift, premiers next Wednesday, May 20 on YouTube at noon PST with a Zoom Q&A afterward. Here's the full video link and here's the trailer.
Accepting Change: A Guided Meditation
This brilliant meditation by Sarah Blondin is one I’ve revisited at least a dozen times since March. I can’t recommend it highly enough for now, or probably anytime!
So many thought-provoking lines in it. Here's one of my favorites: "Often new life can catch us off guard. It comes like a gust of strong wind and blows away the ideas and structures we have worked so hard at building."
A PhD Biologist's Take on Reopening Risks
In case you haven't read Erin Bromage's recent mega-popular and incisive thoughts on the risks of reopening and how to avoid them, definitely check it out. It helped me sort out which kinds of places or activities I'll feel comfortable with in the near future. (Hint: indoor restaurants are out for awhiiile.)
An informative paragraph: Social distancing rules are really to protect you with brief exposures or outdoor exposures. In these situations there is not enough time to achieve the infectious viral load when you are standing 6 feet apart or where wind and the infinite outdoor space for viral dilution reduces viral load. The effects of sunlight, heat, and humidity on viral survival, all serve to minimize the risk to everyone when outside.
