Finding New Ways to Spend our Time

BY ANGELA SICOLI

When the state and the entire country shut down, we had to find new ways to spend our time and cope with our new day-to-day.

Some took to the kitchen—finally spending the time they never had on sourdough starters, baking up their grandmother’s famous blueberry pie, or learning to cook. A select few of these kitchen lovers also became experts in ordering groceries online (if you have insider knowledge on this please give me a call).

Others seized the opportunity to purchase new streaming services and have had the movie marathons they always dreamed of but never had the time to have. Some are learning how to better cope with stress and taking the time to meditate or journal through the days of quarantine. All of our lives look different in some way.

For me, I added a new furry friend to my family. As I was scrolling through Facebook one day, I saw a fellow Realtor ® had added a puppy to her family, and my heart

melted. I haven’t had a dog in 20 years and while my husband and I had previously discussed a puppy, we thought after my presidency ended would be best. But when the pandemic hit, we knew it was right and now I have the pleasure of introducing Mia Sicoli, an Australian Labradoodle.

Without the normal travel obligations that come with the presidency, I have the time to devote to a new dog and all the training that comes with it. And we’ve been training Mia on our own since there were no trainers open for business! She’s kept me on my toes the past few months, with 5 a.m. wakeup calls and chewing everything in sight, but she has become my best friend.

Every time I enter my house, she runs to greet me and is keeping me active, patient, and focused.

I hope you have found something to help center you during this stressful time and I hope that something will remain with you as we slowly reopen our lives.

In the past few months where everything has shifted, I have come to realize how utterly important our community of Realtors ® is, especially during times of difficulty and hardship.

Though our ability to hold in-person meetings has ceased, I appreciate how easy it is to continue to connect with you all. But I’m still looking forward to the day we can all be together once again.