I Am Far Too Excited For How Much Better Airline And Hotel Apps Are Now... Wait, Where Are You Going?
Poppets, it’s been well over a week since I last wrote to you. I’ve been traveling for work, the longest work trip I’ve taken in many years, and let me tell you, I may now be too old for this shit. While in transit last week from SFO —> MCP —> MSP —> SFO, seven people I know got sick from COVID, between work and friends, and there I was, amongst a very small minority of masked people on most of my flights. And then, on my return flight back to San Francisco, I was on the plane with a bunch of doctors on their way to a conference, all dolled up in the finest N-95 medical-grade masks that one can get ones hands on when one is aware of the transmissibility of the melange of new variants floating around our collective experience - COVID is very much still here, y’all.
And while I know that while much of the travel was stressful (see my anxiety above at the sheer number of people coughing at 30,000 feet), other moments were pure magic. Prior to the pandemic, I was not someone who liked to work from home - like a small rodent, I am easily distracted, so before much of the professional world had to adapt to having their work life and life life become permanently intertwined, I was much more likely to come into work, even if no one else was (indeed, I was the last person to leave our SF office before everything shut down over two years). Now that I know the efficacy of working from home, how productive and, dare I say, happy I can be when WFH done right, I am actually absolutely content to do so.
So nothing is less appealing to me than the version of hybrid that involves the time and hassle of office attire and commutes but leads to all of us on back-to-back video calls in an open office concept. But there’s so much I love about IRL - I’ve missed team dinners, and multi-hour brainstorm sessions, and whiteboarding, and laughing, and the deep connections that are formed over burgers in a strange city. It’s the magic of seeing colleagues kill it during a client presentation, or early morning walks for coffee with someone who lives in a different city but you see every single day virtually, or that “aha!” Moment that comes in hour three of throwing ideas around.
I don’t really have anything profound to say other than I like this version of hybrid, where much of the work is done in my own space, but that we ensure we gather in one place when it matters, when everyone puts their phones away and is focused on what is happening together, when we focus our efforts on what can only happen when we’re in the same room.
Anyhoo, this is more philosophical than I intended to write this morning, but I’ve missed you so, and had to provide a wee bit of vulnerability and honesty to get this week started off right.
I am so behind on the internet, so let’s get to it:
Is app banning the new book burning? Over at NBC News, David Ingram is diving into the conservative movement to restrict access to apps like OverDrive lest they expose young minds to the horror that is ideas. And the worst part is, it’s working: “A school superintendent in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, pulled his system’s e-reader offline for a week last month, cutting access for 40,000 students, after a parent searched the Epic library available on her kindergartner’s laptop and found books supporting LGBTQ pride.”
Just gonna drop this here and see what the email comments look like, because I don’t disagree with this (ducks): Millennial men want 1950s housewives after they have kids (NY Post)
Color me not-at-all surprised: Miami’s Bitcoin Conference Left a Trail of Harassment (WIRED)
I don’t watch Shark Tank, but I do appreciate anyone who calls out the cult of hustle and “productivity”: Workaholics are 'unproductive,' said millionaire investor Kevin O'Leary. He believes that great employees should have balance in their lives. (Business Insider)
And finally, this is absolutely bonkers and I am obsessed with this story: Goodwill Sold a Bust for $34.99. It’s an Ancient Roman Relic. (The New York Times)
That’s it, that’s all. Drink some water, get outside, be kind to yourself :)
xoxo Amy