Ash Wednesday! My Covid 2020 Schedule: Why I have chosen to consolidate my 60 hr work week into 4 days.

By: Ash Catcher 
Photos By: Ellis. ​

I am pretty sure this year has, like most people changed the way we view and do things in the world. This year, well mostly starting at the end of March I made a conscious choice to stop working longer, (I was pulling 7 day weeks and working 15 plus hrs a day) to work smarter. Here is what I mean, I now have a great schedule, well as great as one can have given all these weird and uncertain times: I have chosen to work only 4 days out of the week and spend the other 3 going off on adventures. (Smartly, masked, and socially distanced) I mean your girl likes living in a highly populated but I’ll be damned if I can't lose cell service out in the woods at least a few times a week. Disconnecting is healthy and good. We need to be doing it more. 

So what have I been doing? Where have I been going? People have been complaining to me this year that there is nothing to do. I am sorry that's not how I see things like ever I am a scary optimist when it comes down to things. The woods, and beaches are open, you just got to cross over that no trespassing sign, and I love to read, but I love going somewhere restricted even more, ya dig. 

Yesterday I went back to Ricketts Glen State Park (my 3rd time there)  to go Ice Hiking, we did a 3hr hike where we were slipping down icy terrain, and left me to tell you that shit was beautiful. All the falls were still going at max capacity, and I honestly could breathe for the first time in awhile. I would rather be doing my own thing any day of the week, I was so happy to share this place with my cold family (myself and my 5 other roommates) . It was quite the party. I would and hope that we go hiking again before it gets WAY too cold, but thanks to global warming slowly creeping its head in December more people are out then ever. It is a little bizarre but I rarely ran into anyone else on the trail. ​

This made for a great escape from my hectic as fuck week, I stopped my night job due to the indoor dining restrictions put in place, so that was a nice surprise. In all honesty 2020 you were quite a year but as one of my roommates just said to me “ You need to take a hike”  I just roll with the punches now and try not to act surprised when some new regulation changes my life in some semi glazed detrimental way. I know the woods will always be there, and there is still so much to explore. 

Catch you next Wednesday!  
ASH