Abby
We’re running a series on our instructors – but the side you don’t see in the studio every day. Get to know our team even better through these interviews and hopefully we can all connect on an even deeper level.
We caught up with Abby who is still working her job in public relations, though with adjustments. She works in travel PR and gives some great tips on how to travel and still explore destinations without leaving your house.
How’s life in quarantine?
Overall I’m good! The first couple of weeks were an adjustment and like everyone I’m just taking it day by day. I’m still in San Diego and I live with two roommates. The three of us work in different industries and we don’t usually get to spend this much time together so we keep trying to remember we will never live like this again and that we need to appreciate it. I’m FaceTiming with my family on the east coast more often and talking to extended family much more than I did before. All of these virtual options have made quarantine easier and have brought me closer to people who I didn’t previously see or talk to often.
Life is definitely slower but I’m kinda enjoying it. It’s nice to sleep in a little later, read a book, take a break to go on a walk, and enjoy having the time. But I miss everyone and SPARK and I’m really looking forward to being back.
You’re still working — what does your typical day look like?
I’ve been sleeping past 6 a.m. which is fantastic. I miss SPARK so much but it’s been so nice to sleep in and be woken up by the sun. I usually wake up and move somehow — I’ll go for a run or do some yoga or meditate. I start work around 9 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. I work at J Public Relations, a luxury travel PR firm, which I love because traveling has always been a passion of mine.
I’ll work until mid to late afternoon then my roommates and I will try a fun workout video like kickboxing or I’ll go for a walk or bike ride to get outside. I’ve been cooking dinner at home, but I don’t really make anything exciting.
After dinner we’ll usually de-stress with a TV show, which is something I typically didn’t do before. We’ve been watching Little Fires Everywhere and I like it even though some of the characters frustrate me.
Working from home must be an adjustment. Do you take breaks?
I’m not great at taking breaks while I’m working but when I do, I’ll try to go for a run or a walk to get some fresh air. Even if I change up what I’m looking at on my computer it helps me recharge.
What about snacks? Any midday snack ideas?
I’m constantly eating and even set up my work chair so I have a perfect view of the snack pantry. I snack on a lot of fruit, crackers, nuts, and protein bars; basically I’m constantly grazing. I thought maybe I would stop drinking coffee during this time but I definitely haven’t.
Basically if you’re struggling to not eat all day, I get it.
Travel has obviously been super impacted by the coronavirus. Even though we can’t go anywhere, do you have any suggestions on how we can travel from home?
Despite being impacted, it has been really incredible to see how the travel industry is coming together to offer people vacations and adventures they can go on from home.
Social media is one of the biggest ways I’ve seen being used to inspire travel after this or just to help people become well-informed global citizens. Hotels will do things like have a chef teach you how to make their signature margarita on Instagram Live or some hotels have posted steps to transform your bedroom into an Italian oasis. I love this article that offers 50 stunning hotel window views so you can start planning your next trip.
Some national parks offer free online tours as if you were hiking through them. If you can’t get a physical change of scenery, you might as well get a virtual change of scenery.
Here are some links for fun ways to travel from the comfort of your home:
It’s all about transporting you from your home to places that you dream about to ignite the travel bug. When this is over, those places will be waiting to welcome you back.
What have you been doing to fulfill your travel bug?
I love having a trip or something on the horizon so a lot of those things I just listed satisfy that need.
My roommates and I also decided we wanted to support local businesses and try new places so we made it our mission to find new things. Every weekend we do a different themed evening, all around a new place. So far we’ve done Italy and ordered take out from Buona Forchetta and sat outside, we made spicy margaritas and ordered tacos, and next weekend we’re doing Greece and getting mediterranean food. We’re planning on getting charcuterie and champagne and putting up a picture of the Eiffel Tower to “visit” France.
We basically are pretending we’re traveling the world. My roommates and I studied abroad in Europe together so we wanted to re-experience all of those times that we had.
