Summer Days and Stability Management
Building myself a foundation of stability and safety in a travel-free summer
Why hello there, readers.
When the sun finally comes out in New England, I don’t want to be in front of a computer. It’s the rare time of year in Boston that we can comfortably leave the house, and if anything, and even though the humidity has been a nightmare here this summer, there are still plenty of activities to do on shaded patios or near sunlit windows. If the computer is my connection to the world while I hibernate during the long gray winters, then it’s only fair that I reserve that for when it’s needed and actually get out into the world when I can. All of that to say, this was an unintended "summer break” for Unlonely World, but I’ll be ramping back up slowly since it’s still the peak of sunshine season.
I’ve spent the entire summer so far in the northeast! (Stay tuned, though; I have some exciting travel coming up that I can’t wait to talk about!)
It’s consisted of street fairs and beach days, growing tomatoes and visiting wineries, and spending time with friends and family.
It’s helped me feel rooted here. And it’s stretched me to find enjoyable moments that don’t always revolve around travel. There’s something unique about a slow morning in my own bedroom, peeking out my window to see if any tomatoes have ripened this morning, that I rarely let myself experience when I’m focused on travel. I’m learning how to create interesting moments and meaningful time, wherever I am.
Stability Management and Psychological Safety in Travel
Though it may seem like a leap, I’ve been thinking about the benefits of stability both at work and in the rest of my life. I got my start in marketing working in community building for a nonprofit, and over the years have been paying attention to how community as a term has been co-opted by corporate America, and how it really touches every aspect of our lives. Humans naturally want to feel a sense of belonging in their families, friend groups, housing situation, finances, and other communities beyond work.
Travel is exciting, novel, and also uncertain. This is a travel blog, so certainly I have a propensity towards novel experiences and adventure and seeing the world. But as a byproduct of my New England summer, I’ve been thinking about how the stability of not traveling for a few months has helped me integrate more principles of community into my life. (As above - I’ve spent a lot more time than usual with family and friends, exploring New England, and being around for staple activities of a Boston summer.)
“Change management” is a term that’s consistently used in corporate jargon to describe managing employees’ expectations around upheaval, such as layoffs, site closures or management changes. A new term, “stability management,” is the opposite. How do we feel assured that there is no uncertainty?
In both our professional and personal lives, I think that many of us are constantly expecting change, or at least anticipating the consequences of it. And this is inherently destabilizing.
I certainly feel this way given the current state of my industry and the number of layoffs we’ve incurred this year. It keeps me constantly feeling on edge in my professional life. And yet in my personal life I naturally seek out change - new locations, new restaurants, new events to explore. I feel boredom creeping in if I have more than two evenings in a row at home with no plans. And here’s the conclusion I’ve come to: stability in the fundamentals allows us to intentionally seek out change in a way that feels safe to each of us individually.
I have a home to come back to, the financial means to travel, and friends and family interested in traveling with me or hearing stories when I return home. This is the foundation that lets me seek out novel adventures.
Learn more about these ideas
This article about stability management from HBR was the inspiration for this section. I was also inspired by last week’s edition of The Boonly about trust.
P.S.: Did you know I am available to plan your next trip? I specialize in travel planning for busy young professionals. Learn more!