By Elizabeth Robinson
One year today... I remember when I used to come home after travelling weeks at a time and climb up the stairs to my condo and not leave my paradise till 8 days later for the next trip. The security guys at the door used to joke with me and say they forgot I was up here.
I wonder what they are going to say when they see me again now that I've been up here for an entire year without leaving once.
"Oh Jesus! We thought you moved away!"
or "Who the hell are you?"
or "Where the hell did you come from lady?"
or "Oh my God! It's Mrs Robinson's Ghost!!"
But seriously, I feel so lucky to have passed the entire year in this paradise I call home. By myself, working full time from home office for a company I love, doing what I love, meeting new people on Zooms, cooking delicious meals for myself, doing my own housework after 40 years of depending on someone else to do it, staying up as long as I want, sleeping in as long as I want, swimming when I felt like it, learning to work smart... not hard.
I've had time to talk to mom each night, to my kids each day, to my BFF when he needs me and my family when they have needed me too.
I have watched how my son never gave up after losing his entire salary as Operational Director of a restaurant company when they all closed down, and living off of home delivery seafood, which was so successful he is now opening his own place in Tulum, always resilient, persistent and hard-working.
I watched as my daughter pulled out all the gym equipment from her gyms in Cancun, Playa, and Merida and set them up into the Mall hallways only to be filled with her members the next day, so the company could continue to pay the rent to the mall.
I learned to sing songs on Smule and record them for posterity so my kids can remember how mom thought she could sing.
So, to those of you who ask how I did it? How in the world could I stay in my apartment for 365 by myself without going nuts?
Be open to doing spring cleaning all year around.
Become or continue to be your own best friend.
Learn to enjoy your own company.
Have hobbies.
Work at what you love.
Dance and sing like nobody's watching... cause nobody is watching.
Learn to appreciate the space you have created for yourself.
Appreciate a really good Netflix Series
When you drop an ice cube on the floor, pick it up right away so you don't slip on it ten minutes later, cause then the guys at security just may meet your ghost!
