The Coalatree Team Self-Isolates

We hope that everyone is staying safe, and finding time to take breaks from our chaotic world. We know this is an inconvenient, upsetting, and sobering reality to adjust to, but it’s the right thing to do. Humans have enormous capacity for love and selflessness, and we must exercise that now in order to flatten the curve. This week we are taking a break from our usual detour post; no tales of worldly adventure, but instead how our team is making the most of self-isolation. Enjoy!

Here at Coalatree I have been tasked with holding down the fort at the office. We still have samples and production updates being mailed to our office as well as online exchanges and returns, so we need someone at the office solo to keep up with the above. It’s given me a lot of time to reflect on how incredible of a family and team we have here at Coalatree! We will all make it through this together and all I can do at the moment is take each day by day and enjoy the small things like sitting in a hammock listening to the birds and feeling the sun on my face! Motto for the month of April for me is to enjoy the small things that bring me joy! 

-Charlie

Honestly, I was quite worried going into this quarantine/social distancing situation because it wasn’t my normal routine. But now that we are days in I'm actually loving it! I have been staying busy through work, online school, and trying to learn how to play the keyboard. I have no musical experience so this has been challenging for me but super fun. I recommend everyone challenge themselves to something new they can do inside, and I don’t mean video games haha. I also go skateboarding by myself outside of my house and cook a lot of good food. Got to stay healthy! 

-Cal

I am cleaning, organizing, and labeling everything on site! With the help of my trusty assistant who lays on top of everything I am cleaning, organizing, and labeling. 

-Kate

My Husband and I have been social distancing since the beginning of March. Staying indoors and working from home is not something we are accustomed to, as we love hiking, climbing, biking, and camping. In our county, they are still allowing citizens to go out on walks and hikes in their local area, but urging us to be cautious of our proximity to others. We're getting through this by taking daily walks or hikes with our pup, to enjoy the outdoors and get some fresh air. Although we miss our adventures, we know that the outdoors will always be there, waiting for us.

-Malia 

Isolation has been hard! As an extrovert, I thrive on human interaction. To keep myself happy during this time I have been focused on my health. I have been trying to go on bike rides, daily yoga, and healthy eating. I notice a huge benefit when I treat my body right during these uncertain times. A simple walk around the block or quick bike ride down the street really has major impacts on my overall mood. 

-Brandon

Normally in the Spring I like to go camping in my spare time, but until it’s deemed safe, that’s not an option. Instead I have been finishing projects that were long forgotten. I started making curtains a year ago by hand dyeing fabric and embroidering flowers on them. I’ve enjoyed sitting in the sunshine embroidering on my front stoop in my free time. 

-Mary

Throughout quarantine I have bounced through just about all I could think of.... Working at my desk, working in the yard, setting up my hammock, sitting on the couch, watching movies, working out, ski touring, bike riding, puppy walking and the list goes on! My roommates and I are all avid skiers and snowboarders so having the resorts closed has been tough! We decided to beat the boredom and start building a ski and snowboard rail that we don’t need snow for. Built with wood, PVC, some astro turf and rebar we have almost completed a backyard rail setup to cure our quarantine blues. We are very excited to have this small, but fun feature set up and if we get more snow I know we will feel like nothing has changed! 

-Keegan

I enjoy getting outside, skiing, biking, hiking and everything in between. Some call our local mountains the Wasatch, and others call it home. Having to distance myself from friends that I would normally go enjoy these places with has been really different for me. Given that there is nothing that can be done about the situation other than striving as an individual to be part of the solution instead of the problem, I have been taking the opportunity to go out and explore in a responsible way with those that I live with, yet don't often spend much time with.

I have also been making a conscious effort to appreciate the little things like fresh air and exercise that put my body and mind at ease.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up and accustomed to having access to the little things that make us subconsciously happy in everyday life, we forget the immense amount of joy these simple things like hanging out with friends actually provide us with.

This moment in time has been allowing me to sit back and reflect on the times that are most important to me and appreciate those little things in a way that I am not sure I ever have before.

It is my hope that I can remember this time when things get back to normal and appreciate how joyous and valuable those moments shared with friends skiing, biking, hiking or even carpooling up to the mountains really are.

In the meantime, I am focusing on appreciating things in my life that I have previously taken for granted and attempting to make up for the time not spent with my immediate circle of friends  by connecting with those (via facetime or phone call) that I have not had a chance to speak with in years. I know that we will get through this and know that we can all come out of this having learned something that we didn't expect to that will enrich our lives moving forward. Stay kind, be a part of the solution, and take the time to appreciate the little things that so often are taken for granted

-JM