These are Macs Adventure’s company values. We have them printed on walls and spaces around our offices (when we’re not working from home, of course!) to remind us of the values that bind us all together as a team:

Be Adventurous; Stay Active; Have Fun; Give a Sh*t; Its Personal

We’ve realised over the last few weeks that these are also ideal values to get us through the current situation (for most of our team across Colorado, Scotland and Germany, that means COVID-19 lockdown – we’re quarantined at home, which is a tricky situation for any active, travel-loving spirit)!

Here are our hints & tips to get through, for anyone out there who shares our values.

Be Adventurous

Being adventurous doesn’t have to literally mean “go on an adventure”, it’s about a state of mind, being open to new things and willing to take risks. Apply that to your current situation… What’s the creative thing you’ve always wondered about trying, or what can you learn for an adventure of the mind? It doesn't matter if you fail... try!

Some of our team’s ideas:

• Berta – “It's a great time to learn a language. Even if it's just the basics. That will make trips abroad much more enjoyable and fulfilling. I'm starting to recover my Greek!”
• Sarah - "Learn a few words of the language of your next destination, the Radio Lingua 'Coffee Break' podcasts are fantastic and offer French, German, Spanish, Italian and Swedish lessons."
• We're also baking, learning to knit, learning new instruments...

Stay Active

SO important in a lockdown environment. There are so many personal trainers out there offering home workouts. Don’t just scroll past on your social media newsfeed, do them! If you’ve not done the Joe Wicks bodycoach workout with your family, where have you been?!

Walk – as much as you can. Put some music on your headphones, or a podcast or audio book, and walk around your garden, or around your house. Run or cycle (if permitted by local advice). If you’re allowed one bit of outdoor exercise a day, make a point to do it EVERY day. The outdoors is ALWAYS a good idea. Rain or shine.

Some of our team’s ideas:

• Rachel & Michael suggest getting some company and getting friends involved in facetime / video workouts
• Nick is walking the quieter trails around Boulder.
• Sally chooses 2 from 3 each day from a workout video, home weights exercise, and a walk.

Have Fun

From getting dressed up for friends & family parties (via zoom) to creating a bar & nightclub in your own kitchen, our team have been very creative! Don’t lose your sense of fun. If something seems silly, do it anyway, nobody’s watching! (Well, except the people you may have on a video call). Now is the time to abandon your cares, and just do what makes you happy.

Give a Sh*t

This is one of our values because we surround ourselves with colleagues who care. It needs strong language!

We care about what we do, the detail, getting things right, and making a difference. In this situation, there are volunteering opportunities out there, there are elderly friends and neighbours who may need a call or some shopping.

• Nick: "I'll be making the most of my days off with volunteering.

Even something as simple as making sure you check in with one person from your network each day shows that you care.

It’s Personal

We take things personally, we put ourselves in others' shoes, and we take ownership. Take ownership of your own well-being and your own happiness, and give yourself some responsibility to look after others too.

And finally, isolation tips...

Our team offer some of their tips for life in isolation...

• Caroline: “Set small goals each day of what you want to achieve. Having something to focus on keeps the brain healthy.”
• Craig: "I’ve been keeping a diary which is not something I usually do. It will be an interesting read in the future, once this is all over!"

Above all, we wish you and those close to you good health during the coronavirus cirsis. We hope you stay positive, and thank you for all your words of support during this difficult period for the travel industry. Take care, and we look forward to future adventures.

Information on the coronavirus crisis for our travellers is available here. If you want to keep dreaming, join our facebook group where our community are sharing travel memories and plans.