Here’s the journey so far:

Week 1: We’re all in this together. Changes are coming.

Week 2: Transformational. Personal Growth.

Week 3: Routine-building.

Week 4: We’re in a groove. Exploring.

Week 5: April showers rolling in!

Not much is feeling out of the ordinary at this point, which is a cool feeling. We’ve adapted and created a new ideal lifestyle that makes us happy. We’re no longer having conversations about all of the things we wish we could do, instead, we’re finding new adventures and new ways to fill our time. And by time, it’s become limited again! Days zoom by, weeks are a breeze.

Speaking of trying new things, Blanca cut my hair – this was long overdue. It was her first time cutting hair ever, EVER! To be honest, I was more curious of her artistic ability to shape my hair, not really nervous. Turns out, she’s pretty good! New hairstyle coming.

Let’s talk TV! We’re currently hooked on a Hulu mini-series, “Little Fires Everywhere.” It’s FIRE and so addictive. My mom and sister tune in with us at the same exact time every week (remotely of course). This is a perfect example of adapting and making the best of what we do have. In all reality, this is the first time we’ve actually started a show like this with my sister and mom. Interesting how we’ve become closer.

Season finale on Tuesday. Will there be a 2nd season? Some critics are saying NO. It was meant as a mini-series based off of the book, that’s it. **Edit after watching the last episode: OMG, so many questions, so much happened! What, how, who, where? Amazing show. My fav top 3 show of all time.

The idea of a staycation was always something we idealized and now that we’re in it, I’m enjoying the time. Weeks 1-4 had adjustments, but they’re distant memories at this point. Week 5 is the present and is all we’re focused on at this point. It could be worse, it could be much different, we gotta count our blessings.

Ironically, my top New Year’s resolution was to grow as a person, and that’s exactly what living through Covid-19 / Coronavirus has brought. This may be the first time ever that I’m actually tracking and holding myself accountable to a New Year’s resolution. Interesting how self-reflection can change a mindset.

Hey April Showers, bring in those May Flowers! Let’s continue to brighten up this world.

[I’ve been hooked on Songland and here’s the newest song from OneRepublic (Ryan Tedder is lead singer and one of the producers on Songland) – this was made with Covid-19 / Coronavirus in mind]

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Fast forward 4 weeks and we’re in a groove. Thankfully we are safe, family is good, and friends are doing well too. At this point, we’ve focused our attention on making the most of every minute, rather than questioning when this will all be over. Various goofy moments during the work hour, randomly turning on video during a conference call when I shouldn’t, and forgetting to unmute myself while I respond to my wife about lunch plans, have become the norm. But, nothing to complain about, I’m totally diggin’ it.

Week 4 was a blast, definitely one for the memory books. We didn’t do anything specifically different, we just enjoyed our time and celebrated moments. It was also the first week that I made a conscious effort to harmonize work-life balance. Inevitably, the two are muddled together as we work from home, but I’ve adjusted and become a happier person as a result.

• Music – If you know me, I’m always switching my music subscriptions. From Google Play, to Amazon Music, to Spotify, to YouTube Music, back to Amazon Music…now guess where I ended up? Spotify! I change music subscriptions as often as I go grocery shopping (every 2 weeks), but this time, I think I’m set on Spotify. The app UI is well ahead of everyone else, algorithm’s are spot on, and Spotify Connect is AMAZING. The issue with other services, I couldn’t play music on all my devices and that was a deal breaker. Now, I can!
• Food – I was watching the Kelly Clarkson show while she was interviewing Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. [fun interview by the way] Kelly made a comment that with everyone’s eating from home, we’re pushing ourselves to cook more and be more creative (rather than just eating out). I agree! It’s been fun trying new recipes. I can certainly get used to eating a hot breakfast every day. <3
• Virtual Happy Hours for the Win! – They’re here and here to stay. I can honestly see virtual happy hours sticking around even as we jump back into non-social distancing. They’re fun, safe, and can be done with friends from different cities, states, countries. We played Jack Box Games this week, good fun.
• Fitness – Shout out to Academy of Self Defense in San Jose for stepping up their game with virtual Zoom workouts! I was feeling a bit lost without my Bootcamp classes, although Insanity was a good stop gap, I still was yearning for the kickboxing mix. Coach James and Jivoni are kicking our butts over Zoom and I couldn’t be any happier, or more sore.

Life is feeling more routine. Walks around the block, workouts, time for friends, and work efficiency are all piecing together. Finding harmony was the biggest challenge and although it took 4 weeks, I’m happy we’ve found it.

Cheers to coming out of the this stronger, happier, and healthier! Let’s go Week 5, I’m ready for you! From the looks of it, Week 5 is gonna be beautiful outside – backyard living here we come! *turns on Spotify*

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Binge watching, what a beautiful thing! From a virtual work happy hour, we found out about Tiger King on NETFLIX and decided to binge on. Holy moly! What a crazy, twist turning story. Over the course of the week, Tiger King became the topic of almost every conversation – work, friends, family. So many questions left unanswered…maybe there will be a sequel. LOL!

“Getting to know your delivery guys” post on Reddit, pretty much sums up one of the burning questions we all have:

I’ve never been so thankful for our streaming services and the rest of our essentials. Aside from food, we’ve put a microscope on what’s essential to our lives – not surprisingly, but surprisingly (I know that doesn’t make sense)…wifi is extremely essential. Imagine if you didn’t have wifi during shelter at home? Yikes, that’s end of the world stuff right there.

On the real, the adjustment is uncomfortable, but not painful. I’m seeing and hearing a lot of friends using this time as a way to connect more with family and friends, check stuff off their bucket list (recipes, learn a new language), and get some of those chores done. We’ve got a lot done, and it feels great!

What’s changed in my life?

• News outlet distancing – I’ve been doing my best to keep my mind strong and staying off of news outlets to distract myself from all of the data. I’m aware that some exaggerate the truth and it creates anxiety; I’m not oblivious to what’s going on, but also not letting it control my days.
• TikTok – I made the plunge and downloaded the app. What the heck, why is it so addicting? Lol. Super entertaining to say the least. Next step, me and Blanca create our own TikTok clips. hahaha!
• Family & Friend time – This week, we had a virtual dinner with my mom, sister, and niece. We ate, talked, laughed, and got in some family time. Oh, and apparently my grandma is starting to have virtual chats, wow she’s tech savvy! Memories, memories. <3
• Work – I enjoy work, appreciate the opportunities, and love making an impact. Balancing an “always on” mentality vs spending quality personal time is important. I’m adapting, learning, and setting routines. Setting a space for work is important here so the lines don’t blur between leisure and work…it’s important to sustaining a healthy shelter at home life.

Totally knocked Week 3 out of the park! Cheers to Week 4. Cheers to April showers, bringing in May flowers!

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One word to describe Week 2: transformational.

It was a growth week; 7 days filled of new learnings and a new outlook on life. During week 1, I was busy trying to make my life normal, but I ended the week feeling a lack of accomplishment. Week 2, however, I focused on happiness.

Coronavirus / COVID-19 is more real than ever and with a fully stocked refrigerator, the only piece of my life left to fill was my heart. Reading through so many heartfelt stories of coronavirus / COVID-19, I began to think about what if I’m next? What if in 1 day, 5 days, 7 days from now, I contracted the virus? Have I loved those close to me enough?

As I searched for the right answers, I began to question the essence of what makes Earth beautiful and magical. How could this be? Why is this happening?

In between conference calls and short neighborhood walks, the answer became more clear. I was looking elsewhere for the answers, but not looking within.

Here’s where the transformation began in defining for myself: what are my actual needs?

What does it mean to feel accomplished and happy? If motivation is the fuel to happiness, then happiness is the road to change.

Every day, we’re challenged to think twice about our life. Freedom of speech, the right to make our own choices, the need for human interaction, all are put into perspective. As we social distance, rights and needs become muddled. We’re given new rules, told what we can/cannot do. But, this does not define us, our life, or our own happiness. We define us.

What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.

Abraham Maslow

While looking for self-healing, I stumbled on a dose of reality.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs put a magnifying glass on the motivations to achieve happiness. What part of the human brain drives these needs and how do they piece together.

Not surprisingly, Coronavirus / COVID-19 is forcing everyone in the world, whether we see it or not, to follow Maslow’s journey. From the earliest days of stocking up on food, water, and toilet paper, we clearly gravitated towards the bottom of the needs pyramid. This is not a slight towards mankind, it’s just reality.

Come to think of it, it’s everyone’s first step to self-actualization, or happiness.

To reach a state of happiness, we must first define logic and reason. This is where I am after Week 2.

I’m transforming my own belief of normality. I’m more self-aware of my surroundings, this moment in history, and my footprint on mankind. I’m hyper-focused on becoming the best version of myself.

I am happy.

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I understand for many, permanent changes have already been made, and for those individuals and families, the world is sending positive thoughts your way. Thankful for all the brave angels in the world working tirelessly to keep the people on Earth safe from COVID-19 every second of every day – those in medical fields, law enforcement, essential businesses, and world leaders, etc. Huge respect for all of you

But, all is not lost. For some, coronavirus / COVID-19, brings a new way of life that, in some respects, forces us “stop and smell the roses.” In your life, there’s always those moments that stick out (whether good or bad), they’re memorable and have a lasting impact on your life.

At this very moment, remember where you are. Not for the “shelter at home” or “stay at home” mandates, but listen to the world…we’re all beating to the same drum. One world.

Life has changed, but that’s not always a bad thing. Daily routines, social life, work, and travel itineraries have drastically been impacted. What’s a normal life now? Heck, what happened to my New Year’s resolutions? All of that is really irrelevant now. Let’s stop and smell the roses.

Week 1 for me is history (one that I’ll likely refer to for the rest of my life). To set the stage, Week 1 was my first official week of “shelter at home” and working from home. No coworkers, no friends, and even no family. Just me, my wife, and 1,600 square feet of our home.

It wasn’t all that bad…actually, wasn’t bad at all. Memories made, laughs were had, and well…I feel a closer connection to those around me now more than ever before. How? Let me explain.

Work

• In-person meetings, replaced with Zoom Video Conferencing
• Coronavirus / COVID-19 introducing wrinkles in day-to-day activities, but it’s not unique to us, all other companies are facing the same challenges
• Compassion – Corporate America seems to be exhibiting more and more compassion as each day goes by, what a breath of fresh air
• Still busy, still working, still leading the way

Most importantly, coronavirus / COVID-19, has “humanized” my colleagues. Seeing kids, pets, and spouses make unexpected appearances on video meetings has become the highlight of meetings. We get a glimpse of the families behind our leaders and it’s pretty damn cool. We are humbly reminded that everyone has life outside of work and everyone juggles a million things at once.

Socializing

• Still happens, thank you Google Hangouts. By the way, Google, don’t retire Hangouts, so many of us use it every day. Thanks!
• Video happy hour has emerged! Ha…who would have thought? Not missing a sip whatsoever.

The physical interaction isn’t there, but has been replaced by pixelated images of our friends and family. Thank goodness for video chat services (Zoom, 8×8, Facebook, Hangouts). Honestly though, I find myself having more “real” conversations with friends about life. Not to sound cheesy, but those conversations have deepened as a result of coronavirus / COVID-19, and for that I’m thankful to have become closer to friends and family.

One thing is for sure, when the dust settles, video socializing will become a bigger part of my day-to-day life. Cheers!

Personal Life

• Sitting at home can be boring, but I’ve refused to let it get to that point. Hello YouTube TV, NETFLIX, and PLEX. For the past few years, I’ve been keeping up a pretty large movie collection (1,000+ movies) but never knew why, now I do…1k movies has come in handy on the weekends.
• Fitness – Keeping a routine has been key! My wife and I have picked up Insanity (Thanks Shaun T). Now, friends and family have joined the fun. Next up? Video Insanity workouts.
• Cooking – New recipes, old recipes…all have been visited. This is the fun part, it’s brought us together. I love eating and indulging. Now, we have an excuse to take our time with recipes. Creating something delicious.
• Quality Time – Sounds cliche, but I find myself spending more quality time with loved ones. Life has been put into perspective, and at this point, every second counts.
• Who knew I could walk around my neighborhood and be entertained? My neighbors have interesting taste in decorations and some still have Christmas decorations up (hey, at least it keeps up the good spirits). Ha! Seriously though, getting fresh air is good…thankful for the opportunity to smell the roses and exercise.

Living through Week 1 of Coronavirus / COVID-19 has been a change. Sure, it’s not all perfect, but life would be too boring if it were that way. The world is blessed with so many hardworking people risking their life every day to beat COVID-19. It’s magical seeing Planet Earth at work, all fighting for one cause. One Nation.

As I get ready for Week 2, I’m looking forward to it more than Week 1. I’m aware that coronavirus may continue to spread, but I’m also focused on living every second like it’s our last. Memories will be made for a lifetime.

Week 2 will be pleasant, happy, and monumental.

We gotta make a change

It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes.

Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live

And let’s change the way we treat each other.

You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us…

…That’s just the way it is

Things will never be the same

That’s just the way it is

TUPAC – CHANGES

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