It’s only day three of my self-imposed social distancing campaign and this is proving to be very difficult. This traveler is just not a homebody.
Monday was supposed to be the start, but I went into the office…I’m just more efficient when I’m sitting with my business partner and staff. I used the gym as well at my office.
Tuesday, I stayed home, but working over the phone is just not the same. By mid-afternoon, I headed out to one of the few coffee shops still open and decided to sit there an enjoy it. Then I headed to the grocery store, something I generally hate doing, but volunteered (much to my wife’s delight). There was about a 10-minute wait to get into Trader Joe’s, during which time I stood in close proximity to other people waiting to get in. Inside, the store was not very crowded.
Today, I went back into the office, but everything is now shutting down. We take my son to a German-language daycare a couple days each week, which has now shut down. Our other daycare has shutdown. Our church has largely shutdown. My wife’s school has shutdown. Our office gym and outside gym also closed.
Thankfully, everyone is on the mend. My wife, son, and parents are feeling better. I’m social distancing in the sense that there are only 4-5 people in my office at a time and I am not shaking hands or getting close…I even have a mask just in case I am contagious (though I feel great). I’m avoiding visiting my elderly relatives.
My point is that this is going to be tougher than I thought. For someone who thinks nothing of flying to Europe or Asia with two hour’s notice, this voluntary grounding is not going well so far. I’m hoping that I’ll soon be able to relax in the sense that I will begin to better appreciate the time at home and time with family, even if it is not as productive a time as I like (it’s hard to be productive with a three-year-old running around).
CONCLUSION
Tomorrow I’ll talk about the future direction for Live and Let’s Fly and my other businesses, which is really an open question right now. For now, I guess I’ll get back to trying to be a responsible citizen and keeping my distance from everyone.
How is social distancing working for you, especially if you are used to being up in the air or on the road?
This is the NEW 9/11 Part II….Welcome to it.. and yes keeping a distance is the new norm
Working on it!
Are you a toddler? Unless absolutely essential, stay the f home. It’s not about you, it’s about US.
Are you a caitiff?
Am I supposed to starve or should I buy groceries? Maybe better to send my sick wife?
Should local businesses just go out of business or just lay off all employees? You know, because it’s all about Don. Or is coming in for a cup of coffee and keeping at least six feet away from anyone else not good enough for you?
Wow I clearly said unless essential. Groceries = essential. Your preference to conduct business in person = NOT essential.
Actually it’s not about me at all, but you certainly seem to think it’s all about YOU. Look at the replies you are getting and perhaps do a bit of self reflection.
You don’t know the nature of my primary business and why in-person collaboration, especially now, is required.
Fair enough, if you work in a field that provides essential services and need to be there in person, then my apologies, but that was not clear at all from the posting. This post was about your discomfort with the new world order, in your own words “i’m more efficient when I’m sitting with my business partner and staff. ” Everyone is more efficient when we’re in person, that’s not the point here, the point is that as a society, we need to take extraordinary measures to flatten the curve and based on your actions, you are not helping. I hope for nothing but health for you and your family, but unless it’s mission critical for you to leave right now, for the sake of everyone else, please stay home.
As it reads you’re not distancing yourself at all.
You have a mask in case you are contagious? Do you wear it, or do you just have it?
You have 4 to 5 people in the office – always the same, so they don’t mix, or different once so they do mix?
Some of my company rules here in Germany: the smallest amount of people necessary for their work work together. They do not mix with any other. If they need to talk to a person outside their team, they do by phone or online.
When they go for lunch, they don’t mix with others.
If there is more than one person qualified to do the same, they do not work together.
If there is enough people two build two teams doing the same, those teams work in shifts and have no direct contact. Between those shifts the workplace gets desinfected.
If necessary those shifts are shorter to accommodate their private needs.
These measures allow the company to stay in business and not get shut down completely if there is a case. One team would get quarantined, the other takes over.
Apply the same thinking to your private life and your social distancing.
I’m wearing it.
Same people in the office: we have a small team.
We eat lunch at our desks and are all at least 15 feet apart from one another.
But we cannot just stop and the collaboration necessary is greatly compromised if everyone works from home.
We haven’t yet seen the colossal economic devastation that is coming as the world economy essentially shuts down thanks to sycophants like Dan.
Vounteer in your community. While i am mostly negative on this blog there are people volunteering and doing something constructive. They are real heroes. Not trump and his ugly brood.
Already planning on it.
I was doing fine until the gyms shut down. I can have OK workouts at home, but the last two days I’ve been squirming in my seat beacuse I wasn’t able to get any good heavy lifting in…
If you read the actual guidelines of what people are recommending, as you mentioned to another commenter, you are doing fine. Being in the world, while being aware of keeping distance and transmission of respiratory fluids (coughing, sneezing, etc.) should be enough to prevent the spread. Unfortunately we live in a society where I see 60% of men leaving the airport bathroom without washing their hands…so we need to push more draconian measures to have anything be effective because those guys aren’t helping at all.
Oh, I feel you! I’ve been working out at home but I really miss the gym equipment. I feel like these workouts without proper weights don’t do anything for me…so long summer body…
I had to cancel my upcoming trip in early April (to the Seychelles, nonethless!) and it did feel bad. It’s been 6 months since the last time I flew and for someone who loves flying, this is hard (I can’t explain it, I just love sitting on a plane, and I’ve been missing flying for a while). But I really feel like we’re battling something unknown here, and that staying home is the best option. I’m not concerned about myself (I’m young and relatively healthy), but about others who may be more fragile…what if I carry this virus unknowingly and pass it on to someone with a weak immune system? It’s a real possibility…
The portuguese government urged people to stay home if they can and my entire company has been working remotely since monday, and I decided to take the chance to self-quarantine. But, my grandmother insists on going out to work everyday at a small shop where she handles live money out of people’s hands EVERYDAY! She doesn’t get any money for working in the shop she does it to help out the shop owner. But she’s 70 and has high blood pressure. I’ve been calling her everyday telling her to stay home, but she’s stubborn and insists on not doing it. People around her are beginning to self-quarantine as well and she gets very offended that they don’t want any contact with her, blaming it on the fact that she’s old and people associate her with diseases…arrrggg! Some say old people are like toddlers but if my grandma was a child it’d be a lot easier to lock her in the house…
Your grandmother is not being very smart. Asymptomatic people can pass it on her.
My grandmother is really being not smart at all and that’s already an understatement…
And there we go the fake capitalists in the Senate passed the bailout. You can bet it has lard for themselves and their family and friends.
Never mind this is the free testing and sick leave version.
The money grab will come next.
I understand your lack of ability to shut down your wanderlust but it really is about not spreading the disease. You argue that you work better in person with the folks in your office yet you don’t get to work in person with them during your frequent travels. The more you isolate the faster this will be over. The more people get out and spread it around the longer it takes to stop this virus. Find other ways to get out, go the golf driving range, go for a run in the park, etc. Please try to stay home as much as you can.
I guess I don’t understand the difference between going to a 1300 square foot office with five people versus running through a park with people walking their dogs or taking a package from the Amazon delivery guy. I guess I don’t understand stopping for a cup of coffee versus walking by the parking lot attendant at the golf course.
If total isolation was the only antidote, then I would comply. But washing hands, keeping distances, no direct contact…that’s huge.
Matt – It’s all about airflow. You’re chance of spreading this virus is much more in a closed environment such as an office or coffee shop as opposed to outdoors. How are you going to feel if someone you know comes down with this virus and it could have possibly come from you?
Even if I tested negative for it upon my return to USA?
You were tested?
That’s what I sell…
It seems every travel blogger has their different stages of withdrawl; Ben at OMAAT had a sudden 180 last Thursday that I was surprised to see at the time.
Hope you and your family continue to do okay and won’t need groceries for awhile. Try taking up running if you can, it’s a fantastic form of exercise and gives you the excuse to head outside for awhile each day
its so boring at home… need to get on a plane :'(
I myself went to both Starbucks and McDonalds today. I am not about to let this disease ruin the economy. People need to be out buying things.
“I’m just more efficient when I’m sitting with my business partner and staff.”
I feel bad for your staff.
I (als0) work in a field that ceases to exist without travel. Yet our staff are where they want to be, home.
Sorry you are just throwing in the towel. I’m not banking on a bailout for survival.
Yeah your indignation isn’t going to stand the test of time. In the meantime if you hadn’t been so busy traveling you could have gone to the store earlier, and been home with your family taking care of them.
I hope with all your businesses you have a rainy day fund, like we do. Seems like a pandemic is a good time to evaluate your priorities.
All that being said, I certainly wish you luck in these turbulent times. I do generally like your writing and your LA/United focused content.
Sometimes, putting on the food on the table requires traveling.
Then it will be very hard for you to put food on the table when there is no possibility of travel. I’m sure you have thought about this and have plan B and plan C.
Your tone in the post and responses sound like you are still processing this uncomfortable new reality. I do wish you and your family the best.
Maybe so.
If you ever feel like venting, drop me a line anytime. I get your anxiety and frustration. I’ve been teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown since last week for much the same reason as you.
It is very hard to stay home. Actually, I love staying home BUT I like the freedom to go out do things that I like. I go to the gym at least 4 times a week. I am missing that. I tried to buy some dumbbells online but the delivery date is way too long. I love to go to some local coffee shops where I know the owner and they know me. I get the best pastries freshly made every day and the best coffee. I am no longer doing that and I feel very bad for them because they might go out of business. We go as a family to church every Sunday. Church just closed today. The only thing I am still doing is grocery shopping. I love going to local grocery stores and Costco. It is my hobby. Well, I am still going but just to get essential items. I now use the self checkout so I do not interact with anyone. It feels very sad but that is what I have to do. Now the worst will be for my kids. I have two teens that will have to stay home for over a month without school, sports, gym, friends, fun. I know they will remember this time like my grandparents remember tough times in Europe. I am hoping all will get back to normal soon.
If the shop is open, try to pick a take away order. Helps the shop earn some cash, and allows you to get out of the house and not go stir crazy
If you’re distancing yourself adequately, you DO NOT need masks. Please, please, please, think carefully whether (i) you really have no alternative than to go out and meet up with colleagues/friends/etc, although most would accept that is sometimes necessary; (ii) adequate distance is being kept between people, and also the setting–perhaps find somewhere with good ventilation, or maybe a large room so people can sit further apart.
The reason I’m posting this isn’t to say that someone is wrong, but please do remember that healthcare workers around the country (world, even) are running low on supplies. Every one fewer person ill, every one mask saved helps. I have to ask myself: who’s at greater risk, me or them, if we have no masks on; and who has a better claim to being “needed” at work? For me, I might lose money, I might have to shut a business, I might be much worse off at the end of this outbreak; but for those healthcare staff going in every day, they’re risking themselves and their families, for others more than their livelihoods I’d imagine…
This is not a short-term deal. This will be months os isolation, partial if not complete lockdown, no flights anywhere, extended closed borders. Minimum six months, possibly longer. We’re being conditioned for it but only gradually ( the suggested weeks will become a month, then 3). It could very easily drag on past the northern summer, even beyond six months. Some governments have held off on some of the more draconian stuff, believing that public tolerance for shut/lockdowns is limited and needs to be managed carefully.
You will have no choice but to overcome the travel withdrawal…and I’ve no doubt you’ll make the most of it. We’re all in the same boat.
I did want to mention something in an earlier post of yours, but as a resident of LA you should already have plenty of supplies on hand due to living in a seismic zone. There would be no need to run to Trader Joes if you were prepared for the inevitable earthquake.
Being impacted by hurricanes the last couple years has made this transition easy because we already were stocked up because of our previous experience.
This should be a wakeup call to everyone that one should have a couple weeks of supplies on hand regardless of Covid 19 because a ton of us live in potential disaster zones. When things get back to “normal” we should remember what’s happening right now and imagine our current situation if all of the stores were closed due to an earthquake or hurricance.