Ways to be Social While Still Keeping Your Distance (Without Being Awkward)
With warmer weather comes more possibilities, but also more social obligations. Between the family cookouts, baseball season, and summer vacations, it’s hard to say no to all of the fun. Well, now you don’t have to! We understand how important it is for you to get out there and spread those wings, you little social butterfly, but now there are alternative ways to do so while helping keep yourself and those around you safe. While there’s no way to make every occasion risk-free, it’s important to know your options. To stay safer this season, consider trying out these social swaps for your much anticipated summer activities!
Instead of: Flying to your vacation spot
Try: Postponing your trip or driving
Flying even not in the middle of a pandemic can be a questionable task. Between the recycled air, close quarters, and spotty sanitation practices, flying always poses its own amount of health risks. If it can be avoided, we highly recommend swapping that plane ticket out for a road map. Once you hit the road, make sure to only ride with people who are in your immediate sphere and be cautious when stopping for food, gas, and bathroom breaks. Carry your sanitizer with you like you carry your phone. If a road trip is not a viable option due to distance or duration, make sure to mask up as soon as you step into the airport. Between security lines, terminal waiting, and baggage claim, you’ll be in close contact with others for an extended period of time so just be self-aware.
Instead of: Serving up a summer buffet
Try: Individually wrapped food options or a potluck
Health experts do not believe COVID_19 spread through food however, it can still spread through the air that surrounds it. Sharing serving utensils, dishware, napkins, and seating can all lead to contaminated surfaces and air. To keep things safe, consider having one person dish out the food to limit the amount of people touching the same objects and this allows for less people lingering around the food or in the kitchen. To keep things simple, consider the option of everyone bringing food for themselves or ordering from a restaurant so everyone’s food is packed and wrapped individually. Not to mention the amount of preptime and cleanup it will save you!
Instead of: Going to the movies
Try: Hosting a drive in screening
Grab a white bed sheet, a portable projector, your laptop, and a couple of folding chairs and you’re all set! Not only is this a great option to spend some time with your friends and family but this also allows you to do so while still creating some distance. Any activity that can be swapped from an enclosed room with no windows to an open-air, outdoor location is always a win with us. Create an intimate atmosphere with your favorites and bring the movie theater to you. Head on over to check out Netflix’s trending 2021 movies!
Instead of: Getting cozy at the bar
Try: Finding a rooftop/ open patio bar
We get it. Life is stressful and anxiety-ridden and after being cooped up indoors for the past year+, sometimes you just HAVE to get out and have yourself a night. If you’re in one of those moods where you want to get dressed up and have a girls night out with your best, go for it! We just highly recommend that you do so somewhere that has viable outdoor seating options. Whether that be a rooftop biergarten or a brewery with a spacious patio, that’s your preference. Keeping your distance while also still being a part of the scene is sometimes the cure that you need. However, remember that any time you’re surrounding yourself with strangers (walking to the bathroom, going to or leaving your table, ordering at the bar), it’s always smart, and oftentimes enforced to have your mask on. Try and touch as few things as possible and when you do get back to your table, don’t be afraid to flex your hand sanitizer.
Though 2021 is well on it’s way to eclipsing the crapshoot of a year we had last year, we’re still not out of the woods, yet. Please continue to appreciate one another and give praise to the little things in life. Spend time with your friends and family. Go out to eat. Be social! Just make sure you continue to do so safely. At Creative Images, we are still taking precautions with every single person who walks through our doors and we will continue to do so well past the time the mandates have been withdrawn. We care about your health and safety and we want to prove that we will always care. Between extensive sanitation, social distancing measures, air filtration, virus friendly tools and techniques, we are here for you. To learn more about what measures we’re taking to keep our students, staff, and clients safe, head on over to our recent CDC article or feel free to give us a call.
