More than just a home

Since March, when home became work, the gym, a restaurant, a movie theater, a training space and a quiet place to find peace and quiet, we’ve been re-arranging, shifting around, trying to get comfortable.

Two humans, two dogs and a cat existing in a mere handful of rooms. It was easier when outside was a reliable option, and sitting on the porch was a thing. And riding bikes for hours was a thing. And hanging out at the park, taking long dog walks, working out on the back patio or in the garage was a thing.

But space seems so much smaller now that the wind is blowing and leaving the house is miserable many days of the week.

We have really re-defined the definition of home. It’s become a place for anything and everything, hasn’t it?

Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely grateful for the opportunity to work from home. I’ve seen and heard many stories about careless co-workers spreading coronavirus around the office. Let’s be real — they do it with every illness, and it’s not their fault but the pressures of society. I used to trudge into work feeling like death. We all did it. Last winter, I caught at least 6 different nasty viruses, and it was awful. But pending legitimate “can’t get out of bed” conditions, you betcha I was going to keep on trucking.

Some people don’t get sick days at all. Taking an unpaid sick day is really not fun. One place I worked actually rewarded us with money as a “bonus” at the end of the year for not using sick days. Talk about an awful policy. We were constantly passing crap around.

It’s really not surprisng that I haven’t been sick since March. I’ve been wearing my masks, washing my hands, cleaning down every surface I touch, and social distancing as much as I can. It’s almost weird to be in a room with more than 10 people, honestly!

These types of behaviors really do help keep people healthy. Is it “worth” it? Well, that’s an entirely different blog.

But, back to home.

Home is everything now. It feels hard to get it right when there’s little separation between this and that, that and this. Sometimes I’ll sit in bed and work because it’s comfy and cozy. It’s been harder to find motivation to hop on the trainer when it’s 6 feet away from your work desk. I don’t have a bunch of little work desk knick knaacks like I used to because it’s my gaming PC, too, so I need room for my huge mousepad and fancy keyboard.

I’ve found that I can ease into the morning by cooking and working in the kitchen from my laptop, which is my new favorite thing, not gonna lie. Having more opportunity to cook meals from scratch has been so helpful for me. I love my time in the kitchen, and best of all is that you get to indulge after you put in all that work, creativity and attention into something!

Huxley now has three dog beds so he can follow us around as we move about, too. I think the animals have really enjoyed having us close. On nice days, I spend my lunch hour or break by taking them outside and getting some sunshine, fresh air and movement. Little harder in 60 mph winds, but I still love having them around. Especially now that they’re older, I’m glad I get to spend their final few years with them.

Except they’ve developed the worst habit of going into a barking frenzy every time we get on a trainer, so that is driving me absolutely bonkers.

Headphones have become an everyday staple. It’s amazing how much distance you can put between two people when they are both wearing headphones. It’s a whole different world, diving into a podcast or some music, or listening to a different meeting or webinar. I’ve never thought about just how something so simple can create so much of a different experience on the other end.

To that end, noise can also be the ultimate disrupter. A dog barking at the doorbell during a video chat, or the laundry machine clanking away in the background can really throw you off.

Our various worlds to not always mesh well.

The one place I do go often is the gym. Each class I teach is just the biggest bomb of happiness. It’s so nice to see smiling faces and hard-working friends each week. Sometimes I’ll go to the gym just to workout on my own, to get my little moment of peace, to blast some tunes and rock out on the spin bike. And it’s always that same feeling of connectedness, even though nobody is there. It brings back memories that fuel my fire, my stoke, my passion.

I’m so glad it’s been able to stay open. Losing the gym in March-May was incredibly difficult. The gym is definitely like a second home.

Oh, home. We will probably never find an ideal setup, a winning combination, a perfect layout, for all that we are demanding of you right now.

But on this Christmas Eve, December 24, 2020, I am most grateful for the bustle of life that you provide, for this little community of dynamic proportions.

Someday soon, perhaps, you will go back to being just a home, but for now, you are everything that I could ever ask for.