A Return to "IRL" Adventures

Back with people again, IRL. In real life. Last month I presented at two conferences (who knew that these would actually happen in 2021?!). One was fully in-person, the other was hybrid with most attendees on-site and some on-screen. It was a bit unnerving to be in spaces with so many people after 20 months of living a mostly solitary life. Vaccines, boosters, and masks help allay some of the concerns, but the gnawing presence of variants and breakthrough cases keeps it all in check. It is worth noting, of course, that these gatherings occurred before any of us had heard even a whisper of the word “Omicron.”

Over the past few months, life has tiptoed toward more normalcy—with sporadic hiccups—with small group get-togethers, an occasional indoor meal, and travel on increasingly crowded subways and airplanes. But being in close quarters with 500 people (twice in a matter of days) was something altogether different. At the conference in DC, there were six-foot tall plexiglass dividers and individual microphones for speakers on a panel in front of a room in which all the seats were generously spaced from one another. And it had the best innovation/adaptation I've seen: 'stoplight' colored wristbands to denote the appropriate way to engage with others: red = no physical contact preferred, yellow = elbow bump and fist bumps okay, green = handshake (and hug) fine. No weird dances or awkward outstretched hands to be seen when a quick glance tells you all that you need to know. 

And at the conference in North Carolina, there were temperature checks and proof of vaccination required (as was the case at the first as well) along with its own version of the stoplight. In this case, the colors were coded by event/space: red for mask on all the time, yellow for okay to remove when eating or drinking, and green indicating your choice. In the main ballroom—a yellow zone—where the plenaries and meals were held, the round tables had six chairs (instead of the typical ten) and were more generously spaced from one another than normal.

But all the protocols and safety precautions didn't prepare me for the actual interacting and engaging with all the people. It was exhilarating to be with others and intimidating at the same time. I could attribute it to my introversion, which was part of it, but I was rusty and felt ill-equipped to make conversation with strangers. I could have used my own stoplight system to guide folks: maybe yellow, proceed with caution!

How are you feeling about navigating newfound “IRL” adventures for work and beyond? Drop a comment below.